§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress has been made since January 1999 in eliminating the most dangerous kinds of nuclear waste in Russia, particularly in and near the White Sea; and what the programme is for the next three years. [HL281]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville)Progress has been made in co-operation with the Russian authorities in identifying priority projects in north-west Russia to facilitate Russian efforts to deal with this problem. This has, however, been held up by the delay in agreeing a legal framework under which this work can take place.
214WAIt is hoped that a bilateral UK/Russia agreement can be signed shortly which will allow work to commence. Our first project, to provide a spent nuclear fuel storage facility in north-west Russia, can then begin immediately. Other projects, focusing on the main issue of spent nuclear fuel, will follow on closely.