§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the conviction by the Environment Agency in December of AWE Aldermaston for unauthorised discharges of tritium. [105066]
§ 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 Robert Walmsley to Mr. Harry Cohen, dated 24 January 2000:
I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking if he will make a statement on the conviction by the Environment Agency in December of AWE Aldermaston for unauthorised discharges of tritium.On 13 December 1999, Hunting-BRAE, the current management and operating contractor for the Atomic Weapons Establishment, pleaded guilty at Newbury Magistrates' Court to three charges in connection with the unauthorised discharge of low level tritium into the Aldermaston Stream and were fined a total of £17,500 plus costs of £4,220. The Environment Agency, who issued the summons, have stated that the discharges have no significant health or environmental consequences. They also accept that the stream is the best available method of discharge and have allowed AWE to 60W continue with this. For their part, Hunting-BRAE have stated that the discharges were made in the belief that the Environment Agency were aware of the situation and had condoned it.