Nuclear Submarines Debate

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Department: Ministry of Defence
Tuesday 11th March 2014

(10 years, 7 months ago)

Ministerial Corrections
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The following is the answer given by the Secretary of State for Defence, the right hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), to the hon. Member for Ellesmere Port and Neston (Andrew Miller), following his Statement to the House on Nuclear Submarines on 6 March 2014.
Andrew Miller Portrait Andrew Miller (Ellesmere Port and Neston) (Lab)
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Having worked with radiation for a number of years in my own career and having followed very closely the development of the civil nuclear programme, I fully concur with the Secretary of State’s comments on the underlying science. On level 0 events, similar events, such as moving waste material out of civilian sites, are subject to local communication. Why was there not a parallel situation in the case of Dounreay? Why were local stakeholders not involved? Will he ensure that the chief scientific adviser is given the maximum freedom, within the limits of classified information, to share scientific findings with the broadest possible group of nuclear experts?