§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 24 February 1998,Official Report, column 191, on the basis of what advice he was able to give reassurances over the safety and liability of nuclear waste shipped through the Caribbean; if he will make a statement on the comments he made on this matter at a press conference in Nassau; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the Communiqué of the Caribbean-UK ministerial meeting. [33131]
§ Mr. FatchettThe International Maritime Organisation and the International Atomic Energy Agency set extremely high standards for shipments of nuclear waste. My right hon. Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary was able to assure Caribbean Ministers that the ships that BNFL use for such cargoes fully meet or exceed these standards. The casks containing the waste are massive steel structures designed to withstand collision, fire and submersion. The waste itself is in a solid glass-like form which could not cause widespread contamination in any credible accident scenario. These are regular commercial shipments; the companies involved are substantial and are required to carry liability insurance. I have placed copies of the Statements issued at the end of the UK/Caribbean Forum in the Libraries of both Houses.