HC Deb 21 June 1999 vol 333 cc269-70W
Mr. Borrow

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish figures for the United Kingdom's stocks of plutonium and uranium at 31 December 1998. [87837]

Mr. Battle

I have today placed in the Library of the House figures for the United Kingdom showing national holdings of civil plutonium and uranium at 31 December 1998. These figures are published as part of the UK's continued commitment to improve transparency and openness in its management of our national holdings of civil plutonium and uranium.

In accordance with our commitment under the international "Guidelines for the Management of Plutonium"—an agreement among an informal group of nine countries to publish national holdings of plutonium—I have today sent a copy of the figures to the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, who will be circulating it to member states in due course.