§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the numbers of nuclear fuel flasks originating in(a) France, (b) Germany and (c) Switzerland, which have been allowed into the United Kingdom and have levels of loose contamination in excess of levels normally found on flasks of United Kingdom origin. [56352]
§ Ms Glenda Jackson[holding answer 26 October 1998]: During the period from September 1996 to date, no nuclear fuel shipments entering the United Kingdom from Germany and Switzerland revealed loose contamination in excess of the regulatory levels. However, one flask shipment from Germany and one from Switzerland showed loose contamination at Dunkirk, 162W does not include the cost of secondees from Programme partners to the Government Offices, or the expenses of the partnership representatives who form the membership of the PMCs.
The running costs of Government Offices, including expenditure incurred in managing European programmes, are subject to monitoring from the Government Office Central Unit and the three parent Departments (DETR, DfEE and DTI). A programme of audits is also carried out by the Departments' internal auditors.
whilst en-route to the United Kingdom. In both cases the contamination was removed to below the regulatory level before entering the UK and the flasks were found clean on arrival at Sellafield. France does not usually send spent fuel to the United Kingdom.