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Nuclear Waste

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what estimate she has made of the amount of (a) processed and (b) unprocessed nuclear waste that will be stored in the UK in (i) one year, (ii) three years' and (iii) five years' time; and if she will make a statement; [187736]

(2) how much (a) processed and (b) unprocessed nuclear waste is being stored in the UK; at which locations it is being stored; and from where the waste originated. [187738]

Mr. Morley: I have been asked to reply.

An inventory of the radioactive waste currently held, and forecast to be held in the future, in the UK is compiled periodically (normally every three years) by my department and United Kingdom Nirex Limited (Nirex). This inventory statement, known as the UK Radioactive Waste Inventory, is a published document and it gives details of the waste in terms of volume, physical characteristics and chemical composition. It also provides information on the amounts of waste which are currently held in conditioned and unconditioned form, who is responsible for its management, and where it is stored.

There are over 30 sites at which waste is stored in the UK, the major site being Sellafield. Details of where waste originated from is not contained in the Inventory, and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. In general the waste currently held on sites is that which has arisen at the site, but there have been movements between sites over the years.

The last fully compiled Inventory, published in October 2002, is for a stock date (i.e data collection date) of 1 April 2001. Work to compile the next Inventory for a stock date of 1 April 2004 is currently ongoing, and the results will be published in 2005.

Figures for the stocks of UK radioactive waste given in the 2001 UK Radioactive Waste Inventory are:

	Stocks (m(38))
	HLW	ILW	LLW 1
Not yet conditioned	1,619	64,227	14,425
Already conditioned	342	11,186	303

⁽³⁶⁾ Most LLW is usually promptly disposed of to the Drigg disposal facility.

Approximate estimates of future arisings derived from the 2001 Inventory, in terms of fully conditioned volumes, are:

	Estimated conditioned volume of waste (m(39))
	HLW	ILW	LLW
1 April 2001	764	74,500	15,900
1 April 2004(37)	964	84,900	54,200
1 April 2007(37)	1,160	96,000	87,000
1 April 2009(37)	1,270	103,000	107,000

⁽³⁷⁾ Approximate estimates derived from 2001 Inventory figures.


 
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Definitive 2004 figures will be provided by the 2004 Inventory results.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to (a) recycle, (b) repatriate and (c) bury nuclear waste currently being stored in the UK. [187737]

Mr. Morley: I have been asked to reply.

UK radioactive waste owners are responsible for the future management of their waste, subject to securing the necessary regulatory approval from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the environment agencies.

The Government's position on the future of reprocessing of spent fuel was set out in the July 2002 White Paper "Managing the Nuclear Legacy" (Cmd.5552). Magnox fuel is reprocessed for reasons given in the White Paper, and this should finish by around 2012. BNFL expects to complete their existing order book for THORP reprocessing by around 2010. Before making a decision on any proposal for new THORP contracts the Government would review it against the criteria set out in the White Paper and would consult publicly.

Government policy for the return of wastes from the reprocessing of foreign spent fuel is set out in the July 1995 White Paper "Review of Radioactive Waste Management Policy: Final Conclusions" (Cmd.2919). It is that the wastes arising from such reprocessing should be returned to the country of origin, and the high level radioactive waste (HLW) should be returned as soon as practicable after vitrification. The White Paper accepted that in appropriate circumstances this return policy can be implemented by waste substitution arrangements which ensure broad environmental neutrality for the UK. Substitution of HLW for low level radioactive waste (LLW) was permitted because of the availability of the LLW disposal facility at Drigg in Cumbria. Intermediate level radioactive waste (ILW) substitution was the subject of a Department of Trade and Industry consultation paper issued in January 2004, and the responses to this are currently being considered. All reprocessing contracts signed by BNFL since 1976 have included return of waste provisions, and these has been reinforced by exchange of intergovernmental letters. The programme of return of overseas reprocessing wastes is planned to begin in 2007–8.

The Drigg facility caters for the long-term management of LLW. Options for the long-term management of higher activity waste are currently the subject of consideration and evaluation by the independent Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM). The long-term management policy for these higher activity wastes will be decided by UK Government and the devolved administrations in light of CoRWM's recommendations,
 
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due to be delivered in summer 2006. In the meantime the waste is stored safely under the regulatory surveillance of the HSE and environment agencies.

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the Answer of 11 February, Official Report, column 1478W, on nuclear waste, how much foreign spent nuclear fuel imported from abroad is stored at (a) Drigg, Cumbria and (b) elsewhere in the United Kingdom; what plans there are to send this spent fuel back to the countries of origin; and if she will make a statement. [189150]

Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 16 September 2004]: No overseas spent fuel received in the UK for reprocessing at Sellafield is stored at the Low Level Waste disposal facility near Drigg.

To date, approximately 10,000 meters cubed of Low Level Waste arising from the reprocessing of overseas spent fuel has been emplaced at Drigg.

The forecast volumes of conditioned High and Intermediate Level Waste at Sellafield to be returned to BNFL's overseas customers are approximately 305 metres cubed and 3,238 metres cubed respectively. The programme to return overseas high level reprocessing wastes is planned to begin in 2007–08.

Separately, the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has a very small amount of overseas Intermediate and Low Level Waste associated with its Research and Material test reactor, stored at Dounreay, Caithness for return to overseas customers.

Paper Industry

Jonathan Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact of energy price rises on the paper industry. [189483]

Jacqui Smith: While the DTI has not at present made any detailed assessment of the impact of higher energy prices on the UK paper industry, the Government are very much aware of the concerns of Britain's energy-intensive manufacturing industries in particular and are monitoring the situation. More generally, in July 2004 the DTI published a "Review of the Manufacturing Strategy: Competing in the Global Economy" (http://www.dti.gov.uk/manufacturing/strategy review.pdf), which sets out a framework and action plan for Government and industry stakeholders to create the right conditions for manufacturing success.

Parental Leave

Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will reduce the length of time a parent must have been employed by a company before he or she becomes entitled to parental leave. [189739]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The Government are committed not to make any changes to the laws for working parents before 2006, after the impact of the existing legislation has been reviewed.

As part of its programme of work exploring what additional support could be provided to working parents while also meeting business needs, the DTI will examine a range of options.
 
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Postal Scams

Jim Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures are being taken to ensure that vulnerable people do not become victims of postal scams. [189955]

Mr. Sutcliffe: DTI and the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) are working to raise consumer awareness of postal scams.

Most postal scams operate from outside the UK. The OFT works with the network of enforcement agencies called ICPEN (International Consumer Protection Enforcement Network) to investigate and take action against cross-border scams.

The OFT have taken a lead within Europe in taking action against scam mail under the powers provided by the Injunctions Directive and the Enterprise Act 2002 ('Stop Now Orders').

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