To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consideration he has given to the public responses received by 23 January in response to draft discharge authorisations for the BNFL thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield; and how many were (a) against and (b) in favour of granting such authorisation.

My right hon. Friend is currently considering a report on the representations received in response to consultation on draft radioactive discharge authorisations for BNFL Sellafield. 64,514 responses were against issuing the authorisations as drafted and 19,217 were in favour of granting them.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent discussions she has had with, and what representations she has received from, senior management at BNFL on draft authorisations for BNFL's thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield; and if she will make a statement.

In dealing with this matter the Minister and the chief inspector of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution act jointly under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 in regulating radioactive discharges from sites licensed under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965. They have therefore received detailed applications from BNFL for new radioactive discharge authorisations for Sellafield, including THORP. BNFL has since written to emphasise the commercial importance it attaches to reaching a decision on the draft discharge authorisations 'without undue delay.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the application from BNFL for authorisation for proposed new radioactive discharge limits from the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield fulfils the requirements of environmental assessment; and if she will make a statement.

The information supplied by BNFL in support of its application for new radioactive discharge authorisations for Sellafield, including the thermal oxide reprocessing plant, has been sufficient for the purposes of the radiological assessments carried out by this Department.