§ Mr. SavidgeTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has to recycle plutonium from dismantled redundant nuclear warheads as civilian MOX fuel. [130678]
§ Mr. SpellarI refer my hon. Friend to the answers I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith) on 14 March 2000,Official Report, columns 1040–5W and 17 July 2000, Official Report, columns 11–12W. The Ministry of Defence's remit is to examine all options for disposing of this material including its conversion into civilian MOX fuel. However, as the quantity of weapons grade plutonium which is surplus to Defence requirements is a very small percentage of the overall UK plutonium stocks, we shall be taking account of civil industry's plans for disposal of their much larger amounts. Disposal of such materials is, of course, a very complex matter and final decisions are unlikely for quite some time.