HC Deb 22 January 2002 vol 378 c776W
Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will establish an assessment, in respect of its relevance to environmental protection policy, of the report published on 23 November by the European Parliament's Scientific and Technological Options Assessment Programme on the possible toxic effects from the nuclear reprocessing plants at Sellafield and Cap de la Hague, France. [19873]

Mr. Meacher

This report is a public document which has already been the subject of independent evaluation by experts appointed by the STOA panel. The contents of the report and these evaluations have been noted, as have the doubts about the report's objectivity which have been raised by some members of the European Parliament and two of the three independent assessors. The Environment Agency which advises the Government on the disposal of radioactive waste into the environment, has been provided with a copy of the report.