Vol. 487 No. 6
30 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if she will make a statement on the plans by the Sellafield nuclear plant to increase its production of mixed uranium and plutonium oxide fuel, MOX, from up to eight metric tonnes a year approximately to 120 tonnes in 1999, which could lead to unacceptable safety risks. [2371/98]
125 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the further contact, if any, which has been made with the United Kingdom environment agency in relation to the application by British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. to commission its MOX plant at Sellafield; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4874/98]
I propose to answer Questions Nos. 30 and 125 together.
I refer the Deputy to my answer to Question No. 50 of 16 December 1997.
The Government remains concerned about BNFL's plans to increase the production of MOX fuel at its plant in Sellafield. Indeed, these concerns have been conveyed directly to the UK authorities on a number of occasions.
Early last year the UK's environment agency launched a public consultation process to decide whether the MOX plant was justified, that is, the perceived benefits and detrimental effects of the project would have to be assessed by the agency. As part of that consultation, my Department forwarded a submission to the agency detailing the Government's concerns about BNFL's proposal. More recently, I raised this issue when I met the UK Minister for the Environment, Mr. Michael Meacher, last November. A second consultation process has now been launched by the environment agency to consider an independent assessment report on the MOX plant. This report was commissioned by the environment agency following its initial public consultation held early last year. At that time BNFL was criticised for failing to provide an economic case for the MOX plant in its application. My Department, as an interested party, will be forwarding a further submission to the environment agency in the coming weeks.
