Written question asked by Lord Jenkins of Putney (Labour), in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 26 July 1994. It was answered by Lord Henley (Conservative) on Tuesday, 26 July 1994.

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Henley, Lord

Question

Whether in the light of the publication by the United States Department of Energy on 27th June this year of fact sheets making clear that the US conducted a successful nuclear warhead test in 1962 using reactor trade plutonium imported from the UK HMG will reconsider the replies given by Viscount Cranborne on 2nd November 1992 (539 c113WA) and Baroness Chalker of Wallasey on 28th June 1993 (547 c21WA) that "the usefulness of reprocessed plutonium for weapons purposes depends on its composition" and that the UK Government "would ony allow the export of plutonium from reprocessing if we had received satisfactory assurances that it would only be used for peaceful non-explosive purposes"; and how often British reactor grade plutonium has been exported to the US and used for military purposes since 1962.

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Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

557 c81-2WA

Session

1993-94

Subjects

Exports Nuclear weapons Nuclear fuel reprocessing Testing USA Plutonium