HC Deb 24 May 2002 vol 386 cc629-30W
Mr. Key

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry who from her Department attended the Oslo Meeting from 6–8 May on nuclear accidents; and if she will make a statement. [56129]

Mr. Wilson

No-one from my Department attended the meeting. Representatives from the UK Competent Authorities (DTI and DEFRA) under the International Atomic Energy Agency's Early Notification and Assistance Conventions were invited but were unable to attend owing to prior commitments and the need to prepare for a UK national exercise. The meeting in Oslo was a follow-up meeting to one held in June 2001 which was attended by UK representatives. Officials in DTI and DEFRA will be informed of the proceedings in due course.

Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the basis and outcome of the ISIS nuclear emergency exercise held in May. [57981]

Mr. Wilson

Exercise Isis was held on 10 May 2002 based on a simulated emergency at Bradwell Power Station. This was part of an ongoing programme of regular off-site exercises for civil nuclear installations. These test the off-site facility for each site, in this case based at Essex Police HQ in Chelmsford, and involve a wide range of local and national agencies. As this was the National (level 3) exercise for 2002/03, this also tested the various government departments at their headquarters. The exercise tested the response to an event with off-site consequences wider than those usually tested.

Preliminary indications are that this was a successful and worthwhile exercise. It is too early to comment in detail, as the process of collecting the considered comments of all participating organisations is still ongoing. As with all such exercises, the lessons will be fully evaluated and taken forward in future planning.

Mr. Key

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the recent international convention on nuclear safety; which members of her Department attended it; what was discussed; and what conclusions were reached. [58536]

Mr. Wilson

Officials from my Department and from the Health and Safety Executive attended the second Review Meeting of the Contracting Parties of the Convention on Nuclear Safety held in Vienna from 15–26 April 2002.

The purpose of the meeting was to review the national reports of the Contracting Parties, which focused on the measures they have taken to implement the obligations of the Convention. The United Kingdom presented its report at the meeting, as did other Contracting Parties, and each report was subject to questions and debate by the Contracting Parties.

Discussion of country reports during the review meeting is confidential. However, a Summary Report of the meeting, including conclusions and recommendations, is available on the IAEA website www.iaea.org. Publication of country reports is at the discretion of each Contracting Party. The United Kingdom's National Report and the reports of other Contracting Parties can be found on this site.