§ Ms DrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations his Department has received requesting the use of its uranium stocks for cancer research, with particular reference to the detection and treatment of cancer; what response his Department gave; and what factors underlay this response. [66487]
§ Mr. Doug Henderson[holding answer 19 January 1999]: The Department of Trade and Industry asked my Department last year if we could provide highly enriched uranium, HEU, from defence stocks for use by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) to produce medical radioisotopes.
UK defence requirements for HEU were considered in detail in the Strategic Defence Review, which concluded that any material not required for nuclear weapons purposes would be needed for the nuclear propulsion programme. Therefore, as we stated in the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) White Paper, the MOD holds no surplus stocks of HEU. We were, as a result unable to accede to the Department of Trade and Industry's request. We were, however, able to provide advice on a possible alternative source of HEU.