RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS AND CONSUMER GOODS

Early day motion 677, tabled 22 January 1998 by Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 41 members.

That this House notes with concerns that EC Directive 96/29 permits the recycling of radioactively contaminated material into consumer goods; further notes that BNFL has already sold 7,000 tonnes of radioactively contaminated aluminium from the decommissioned gaseous diffusion plant at Capenhurst onto the open scrap metal market without identifying the source; believes that even if all the metal has been chemically treated to remove surface radioactivity, since the metal remains radioactive and may be used in consumer products, this practice represents an unwelcome, unnecessary and disingenuous dispersal of radioactivity into the environment; and calls on the Government to use the discretion afforded within the EC directive to bring such practices to an end.

Signatures by party: Liberal Democrat 23, Labour 13, Plaid Cymru 2, Conservative 1, Scottish National Party 1, Social Democratic and Labour Party 1.