§ Mr. McDonnellTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consultations will be undertaken by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in respect of the proposed incineration of Ministry of Defence radioactive waste at Grundons, Colnbrook. [78999]
§ Mr. MacdonaldIn addition to consulting my right hon. Friend, and the Health and Safety Executive, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) also consulted the bodies shown in the list.
In addition, SEPA placed notices in the Helensburgh Advertiser and the Edinburgh Gazette.
Bodies consulted
- Argyll and Bute Council
- Copeland Borough Council
- Cumbria County Council
- Slough Borough Council
- Argyll and Clyde Health Board
- Ayrshire and Arran Health Board
- West of Scotland Water Authority
- Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee
- The National Radiological Protection Board
- Committee on the Medical Aspects of Radiation
- The Environment Agency.
§ Mr. McDonnellTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research he has commissioned on the health effects of the incineration of Ministry of Defence radioactive waste on people living in the vicinity. [79001]
§ Mr. MacdonaldMy right hon. Friend has commissioned no specific research. However, when authorising the Colnbrook facility to receive radioactive waste, the Environment Agency sought and received assurance from the site operator that the radiological implications were satisfactory.
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§ Mr. McDonnellTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consultation will be undertaken with local authorities through whose areas Ministry of Defence radioactive waste is to be transported for eventual incineration at Grundons, Colnbrook. [79004]
§ Mr. MacdonaldCurrent regulations on the transport of radioactive material in Great Britain place no requirement on either the consignor or the transporter to consult with local authorities through whose area a shipment is taking place.
§ Mr. McDonnellTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations have been received by(a) him and (b) the Scottish Environment Protection Agency on the proposal to incinerate Ministry of Defence radioactive waste at Grundons, Colnbrook. [79002]
§ Mr. MacdonaldMy right hon. Friend received two sets of representations and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency received seven sets from consultees and others.
The representations covered the health hazards of disposal, lack of consultation, suitability of material for incineration, proximity of incinerator to other premises, transport issues, nature of the decision-making procedures, availability of incineration facilities in Scotland, the position post-devolution, and the link between radioactive waste and the nuclear weapons programme.
§ Mr. McDonnellTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research he has commissioned into the health effects on the population of those areas through which Ministry of Defence radioactive waste is to be transported for eventual incineration at Grundons, Colnbrook. [79005]
§ Mr. MacdonaldMy right hon. Friend has commissioned no specific research into this area. A report by the National Radiological Protection Board, entitled "The Radiation Exposure from the Normal Transport of Radioactive Materials within the United Kingdom" (NRPB-R255), covered road and rail shipments in general. It found the radiological exposure arising from transport to be very slight in comparison with that from natural background radiation. A copy of that report is in the House Library.