HC Deb 17 July 2002 vol 389 cc345-6W
Gregory Barker

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what testing procedures are employed, and at what cost, to ensure the safety of storage flasks used in the transportation of nuclear waste. [69038]

Mr. Wilson

In the UK, flasks used for the transport of radioactive material are approved by the Department of Transport to all relevant national and international regulations based on the recommendations of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The IAEA's recommendations, "Regulations for the Safe Transport of

Radioactive Material, 1996 Edition (Revised)", contain very stringent design test requirements that all packages, including flasks, must meet.

The costs associated with testing such flask designs and the flasks themselves, are borne by the industry.