Plutonium Investigation - Our News - 01/02/2000 - The UK Government was informed by BNFL as early as 10 September 1999 of potential problems with the Japanese MOX fuel quality control

First quarter of 2000

The UK Government was informed by BNFL as early as 10 September 1999 of potential problems with the Japanese MOX fuel quality control - Problems with Swiss MOX fuel since 1998

Written Answers in the UK House of Commons, 25th January 2000

[Posted 01/02/2000]

Mr. Chaytor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when BNFL first informed the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate of a problem with MOX fuel that had been dispatched to Japan. [105723]

Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 20 January 2000]:
I understand that the Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) was first notified by BNFL on 10 September 1999 of a problem concerning the possible falsification of quality assurance data for MOX fuel manufactured at the MOX Demonstration Facility. I understand BNFL told NII they were investigating the possibility that the problem affected both fuel still in the plant and already dispatched to Japan.

Mr. Chaytor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when his Department was first informed of a quality control problem at the BNFL MOX Demonstration Facility involving Japanese fuel. [105724]

Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 20 January 2000]:
My Department was first notified by BNFL on 10 September 1999 of a problem concerning falsification of quality assurance data for MOX fuel manufactured at the MOX Demonstration Facility.

Mr. Chaytor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
(1) when BNFL first informed the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate of a problem with MOX fuel that had been supplied to a Swiss utility; [105721]
(2) when his Department were first informed of a problem with MOX fuel supplied by BNFL to a Swiss utility; [105722]
(3) by what methods the damaged MOX fuel supplied by BNFL to a Swiss utility was returned to the UK for examination; when the fuel was returned; and if he will place copies of the assessments made in the Library; [105727]
(4) what action was taken by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate regarding the problem with BNFL MOX fuel supplied to a Swiss utility. [105726]

Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 20 January 2000]:
A batch of 12 MOX fuel assemblies each containing 179 individual fuel pins supplied by BNFL were delivered to NOK's Beznau 1 reactor in November 1995. During a routine shutdown of the reactor in September 1997, it was confirmed that fuel pins in three of these assemblies had failed. The suspect fuel pins were removed from the affected assemblies and returned to BNFL by road and sea in March 1998 using the approved nuclear materials transport flasks which are routinely used in the transport of irradiated nuclear fuel. Post irradiation examination was undertaken by BNFL and the results provided to NOK. The assessments made on the fuel pins in question contain commercially confidential data which are a matter for BNFL and NOK. The matter is referred to in the annual reports for 1997 and 1998 published by the Swiss nuclear safety regulator, HSK. I have asked the Company Secretary of BNFL to write to my hon. Friend enclosing copies of the relevant extracts from those reports. A copy of that letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

I understand that, as this is a matter for the Swiss nuclear safety regulator rather than the UK's nuclear safety regulator, the Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, BNFL did not inform the NII about it.

My Department first became aware of a problem concerning MOX supplied by BNFL to the Swiss utility NOK on 14 September 1999.

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