§ Mr. Alan SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if a decision has been reached on building the Dual Access Hydrodynamic Radiographic Test facility at Aldermaston; and if he will make a statement. [96426]
§ Mr. KilfoyleThis is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to my hon. Friend
Letter from John Howe to Mr. Alan Simpson, dated 10 November 1999:
I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking if a decision has been reached on building the DAHRT facility at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston and for a statement.The UK has had a dual axis radiography capability at AWE Aldermaston since 1995. Parts of the facility were purpose built but it also incorporates older equipment and infrastructure. A feasibility study for a new, multi axis, facility is being carried out by AWE at present but no decision has yet been made on whether or not it should be built.You used the term "DAHRT". The DARHT or Dual Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test Facility is an American facility under construction at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
§ Mr. Alan SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures are to be implemented at Aldermaston to replace the practice of storing plutonium and uranium sludge in tanks on-site after 1 January 2000. [96424]
§ Mr. KilfoyleThis is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to my hon. Friend
Letter from John Howe to Mr. Alan Simpson, dated 10 November 1999:
I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking what measures are to be implemented at the Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston to replace the practice of storing plutonium and uranium sludge in tanks on site after 1 January 2000. This matter falls to me for answer within my area of responsibility as Chief of Defence procurement and Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency.In accordance with Nuclear Installation Inspectorate (NII) requirements, AWE will add no further quantities of sludge to the tanks after December 1999.They are on course to procure plant which will meet the further NII requirement that wastes currently accumulated should be recovered, treated and stored in immobilised form suitable for long term retention. The NII have set a date of 1 April 2003 for the first tank to be treated, and may well set further targets.548WIn the meantime and with the NII's agreement, existing holdings of sludges can either remain safely in the tanks, which are bunded and whose integrity is regularly monitored or, in the case of future arisings, can be held within the processing plant.