Radioactive Waste (Hansard, 25 October 1999)

Lord Whiny

We have today written to Lord Tombs, Chairman of the Committee, enclosing the government response to the Select Committee report,The Management of Nuclear Waste. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.

The Government's paramount concern is to protect the safety of both current and future generations. The Government agree with the Select Committee that widespread public consultation must come before a final decision is reached on the most appropriate option for managing radioactive waste. The Government note the Select Committee's conclusion that deep disposal is the only solution which is ultimately sustainable. We shall, however, want to study very carefully the results of the consensus building process initiated by the consultation which we intend to launch early next year before coming to a final view. There are in any case questions to consider about when any underground repository might be 9WA needed and the period over which it should be possible to monitor and retrieve wastes placed in it. There is no need for an immediate decision at this stage.

The government response is the first stage of the process to identify, develop and implement the best possible management option for radioactive wastes—one which commands widespread public support. It sets out the Government's commitment to a comprehensive policy for long-lived radioactive wastes, developed in an open and transparent way on the basis of widespread consultation to ensure the maximum possible public acceptance. The next stage will be full consultation on the management options for radioactive waste. Subsequent steps will need to be considered in the light of the results from this consultation. There is no question at this stage of looking at the potential suitability of any particular sites. This would only be necessary if, in the light of consultation, underground disposal were the chosen option. In any case, this would be some years away.

The Government have also accepted that it is possible that at least some plutonium may be declared a waste in the future. The response therefore also sets out our intention to consult with BNFL, British Energy and UKAEA on the likely future uses for the UK plutonium stockpile.

We have today published a report which my department commissioned from consultants Quantisci setting out a research and development strategy for disposing of certain radioactive materials. Copies of the report have been placed in the Library of the House.

The High Level Waste and Spent Fuel Disposal Research Strategy project has identified the scale and nature of the research and development that would be required if deep geological disposal of high-level waste and spent fuel were to be pursued. The report will inform the forthcoming consultation paper on radioactive waste management.

We have also today published the 1998 UK Radioactive Waste Inventory. Copies of the summary report have been placed in the Library of the House.

The inventory was jointly commissioned by Nirex and my department. It describes all stocks of waste held in the UK at 1 April 1998, together with predictions of wastes arising into the future. There has been an increase of around 12 per cent. in the total volume of wastes in stock since the last inventory in 1994 due to the continued accumulation of intermediate and high level wastes in the absence of disposal facilities. However, the predictions of future arisings have been revised downwards since the last report (17 per cent for high level waste; 26 per cent for intermediate and 2 per cent for low level waste) due to developments in waste conditioning, better estimates of volume and some changes in the scale and nature of future operations.

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The UK is one of the few countries where such information is made publicly available. Organisations involved with the nuclear industry, and relevant nongovernmental organisations, will receive a free copy on compact disk. The summary report will also be available on the internet at www.nirex.co.uk.

A report on the UK's intentions for implementing the OSPAR strategy with regard to radioactive substances has been sent to the OSPAR secretariat today. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House. Copies have also been sent to nuclear operators and relevant non-governmental organisations.