asked Her Majesty's Government:

What steps they are taking to reassure the public that the choice of location for an underground repository for the United Kingdom's long-term nuclear waste will be made solely on its technical merits and that there will be no presumption in favour of or against siting it in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.[HL7349]

The Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) has undertaken an extensive programme of work and rigorous assessment of all the options for the long-term management of the UK's, radioactive waste. CoRWM announced an integrated package of draft recommendations on 31 July 2006.

The package included recommendations that geological disposal is the best option for the long-term management for the UK's higher activity, radioactive waste and that the Government should look to develop partnership arrangements, linked to appropriate involvement and benefit packages with local authorities and communities as a means of securing facility siting.

The Government welcome the report and will issue a full response as soon as practicable after the respective Parliaments and the Welsh Assembly have reconvened.