§ Mr. CarmichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if she will list the(a) quantities, (b) radioactive components and (c) location of intermediate and high level waste in the UK in the last 12 months; [25887]
(2) if she will make a statement on her policy on the long-term management of the UK's nuclear waste. [25892]
§ Mr. MeacherBy the end of the century there will be half a million tonnes of radioactive waste. Some of it will be potentially dangerous for hundreds of thousands of years. Deciding the best way to manage it is one of the greatest environmental challenges we have ever faced. The Government and the devolved Administrations published the consultation paper "Managing radioactive waste safely" on 12 September. We propose a programme of national debate and research, leading to scientifically sound decisions on the long-term management of radioactive waste which inspire public confidence across the UK. In the meantime radioactive waste is safely stored, and rigorously controlled by regulators including the Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agency.
I gave further details of our policy in oral evidence to the Select Committee on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs inquiry into radioactive waste management at its hearing on 17 December. The consultation closes on 12 March and we hope that people all over the UK will let us have their views.
Information on the quantity, radioactive components and location of high, intermediate and low level radioactive waste in the UK is published in the "United Kingdom radioactive waste inventory". A copy of the most recent inventory, for 1998, was placed in the Library of the House and I have sent a copy on CD to the hon. Member. The latest inventory, for 2001, is being completed by Electrowatt-Ekono (UK) under contract to my Department and to UK Nirex Ltd., and will be published later this year. I shall place a copy in the Library.
467WData have not been collected in such a way as to give the quantities of intermediate and high level waste produced in the last 12 months. However, the 1998 inventory gives the total likely arising of the wastes (when expressed in conditioned form) over the 10-year period 2000–09 as 30,815 and 799 cubic metres respectively. Assuming a uniform rate of arising, then the arisings of high and intermediate level waste in the last 12 months would have been about 3,100 and 80 cubic metres respectively. Intermediate level waste is produced at locations too numerous to list; they are predominantly nuclear licensed sites but also include many hospitals and small users of radioactive sources. High level waste is only produced at Sellafield.