§ Mr. Neil TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to make a decision
534Wregarding the options for managing the Prototype Fast Reactor fuels at Dounreay; and if he will make a statement. [118483]
§ Mrs. LiddellThe UK Government are committed to dealing with the remaining liabilities at Dounreay safely, securely and in a way that represents value for money to the taxpayer. In order to achieve the long-term restoration of the site, a solution needs to be found to deal with the remaining fuels, including PFR fuels.
Following a comprehensive review of options for managing Dounreay PFR fuels, the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has identified three options:
the reprocessing or treatment of all PFR fuels at Dounreay as was originally planned;the transportation to Sellafield for reprocessing of the irradiated PFR fuels in the THORP plant and treatment of unirradiated PFR fuels at Dounreay or elsewhere;the treatment of all PFR fuels at Dounreay to make them suitable for interim storage at Dounreay for an indefinite period or until a national waste repository is available.I am pleased to announce today the start of a public consultation addressing the options for managing these fuels. There is no mandatory requirement to conduct such a consultation exercise, however in the spirit of openness, and given the high level of local interest and the impact it may have on activities at the site, all those with an interest are being consulted. As part of this consultation I will also be seeking the views of the relevant Government advisory bodies. A copy of the consultation package will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The consultation will close on 2 June and I would hope to announce a decision a few weeks later. The results of this consultation will be made available to the public, as will the information supporting the decision. The decision will be taken on safety, environmental and economic grounds.