§ 26. Mr. RendelTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Environment Agency following the decision to refer for judicial review the activities carried out at AWE Aldermaston. [122665]
§ Mr. SpellarMinisters have had no discussions with the Environment Agency on this matter since the EA granted a licence to AWE plc to operate at Aldermaston. However, officials of the Ministry of Defence and of the Environment Agency hold regular discussions as part of the normal course of business and these have included the judicial review of the Environment Agency's recent discharge authorisations for the Aldermaston site.
§ Sir Teddy TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of procedures adopted by the private operators of the Aldermaston site to give his Department temporary ownership of radioactive substances; and if he will make a statement. [122573]
§ Mr. SpellarI presume that the question refers to erroneous reports that the Ministry of Defence sought to avoid public scrutiny of measures to dispose of some slightly radioactive material at its DERA Shoeburyness site. In fact, the transfer of material was carried out only after the Environment Agency (EA), following a period for consultation with local authorities, had granted approval on the basis that the environmental impact of disposal in this fashion is minimal. The material in question is conventional high explosive removed from obsolete nuclear weapons, dismantled by the Atomic Weapons Establishment, and only contains small traces of 5W radioactive tritium. The EA provides independent monitoring at the Shoeburyness facility to ensure that there is no risk to staff or the public from these activities.