§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he, other Ministers or officials of his Department have had with his Italian counterparts concerning the availability of storage capacity in Italy for reprocessing radioactive wastes to be returned from the United Kingdom. [57093]
§ Mr. MealeMy Department has no record of any such discussions. I refer my hon. Friend to the Parliamentary Answers given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Energy and Industry on 10 June 1997,Official Report, column 415, and 5 February 1998, Official Report, column 787.
§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what communications his Department has with the relevant authorities in the countries from which the United Kingdom has imported spent fuel for reprocessing at(a) Sellafield 454W and (b) Dounreay, in respect of (i) the provisions to return reprocessing wastes and (ii) the capacity in each country to store returned radioactive waste. [57092]
§ Mr. MealeMy Department has no specific communications on these issues, with the relevant authorities in the countries concerned.
§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to respond to the advice on the scope and contents of the core scientific research programme on intermediate level radioactive waste published by the Government's Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee in October. [57100]
§ Mr. MealeGovernment policy on intermediate level radioactive waste, including the nature of the associated scientific research programme, will be considered when informed by the conclusions of the House of Lord's Select Committee on Science and Technology's inquiry into nuclear waste management. The advice of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee will be taken into account at that time.