§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how much plutonium his Department has (i) produced in the United Kingdom and (ii) used in the United Kingdom in each year since 1979; [34474]
(2) how much plutonium his Department has held in each year since 1979. [34472]
432W
§ Dr. ReidIn April 1995 the then Foreign Secretary announced that the UK no longer manufactured fissile material for explosive purposes. As part of the Strategic Defence Review, this Government are examining all aspects of the nuclear programme, including the management and holdings of fissile materials. I am withholding the detailed information sought under exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information relating to defence, security and international relations.
§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated cost of providing security to protect the stocks of plutonium held by his Department for the latest year for which figures are available. [34469]
§ Dr. ReidThe costs of providing security to protect Ministry of Defence owned plutonium are not held separately from the costs of guarding those establishments where plutonium may be held. It would entail disproportionate cost to attempt to identify the cost of any one element of the overall guarding procedure.