§ Mr. WeirTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many shipments of nuclear waste are expected to be made by sea to Sellafield within the next two years. [70369]
§ Margaret Beckett[holding answer 17 July 2002]: None. The Government's policy is that radioactive waste should not be imported to (or exported from) the UK, except for the recovery of reusable materials, or, in certain circumstances, for treatment that will make its subsequent storage or disposal more manageable. In accordance with International Atomic Energy Agency and Euratom definitions, spent fuel is not categorised as waste while the option of reprocessing it remains open and a future use for the fuel can be foreseen.