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Nuclear Waste

Volume 977: debated on Wednesday 30 January 1980

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asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what alternative courses of action and forms of public inquiry would be available and appropriate to consider the possible disposal of nuclear waste in the event that the present public inquiry into the drilling of test bores in the Loch Doon area should find in favour of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority; whether he will specify which of these he would adopt; whether he will give an assurance that no radioactive matter will be deposited in the Loch Doon area before a further opportunity has been given for the public in the area to give its views at an inquiry; and if he will make a statement.

A decision on whether and where to construct a depository for nuclear waste is not expected to be required for at least 10 years. The Government of the day will decide in the light of the results of geological and other research whether it is feasible to deposit high-level radioactive waste deep in geological formations on land, or on or under the ocean bed. In the event of a land depository being chosen, planning permission would be required for any site selected. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, in a reply on 24 July 1979—[Vol. 971, c. 215–19]—gave the assurance that any proposals for demonstration disposal of radioactive waste deep underground would be the subject of separate appropriate planning procedures which would investigate thoroughly the effect of the site on the environment. I cannot specify at this stage what form these procedures would take.Radioactive matter will not be deposited as part of the test drilling programme, which is concerned to establish the characteristics of different rock formations.