Written question asked by Llew Smith (Labour) on Thursday, 29 April 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 10 May 2004. It was answered by Stephen Timms (Labour) on Monday, 10 May 2004 on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Dept of Trade and Industry

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether any of the grant-in-aid to countries of the former Soviet Union in respect of nuclear legacy programmes mentioned at paragraphs 16.18 to 16.21 of her Department's Annual Report, Cm 6216, has been (a) used and (b) earmarked for future use to help deal with the surplus military plutonium stockpile in Russia.

Answer: Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether any of the grant-in-aid to countries of the former Soviet Union in respect of nuclear legacy programmes mentioned at paragraphs 16.18 to 16.21 of her Department's Annual Report, Cm 6216, has been (a) used and (b) earmarked for future use to help deal with the surplus military plutonium stockpile in Russia. [170983] Mr. Timms: £70 million over 10 years is allocated to help deal with the disposition of surplus Russian military plutonium. The precise details of the disposition programme have not yet been agreed between Russia and the US and, as a result, none of the UK allocation has so far been spent. Consideration is therefore being given to the use of these funds to assist in closing down the three remaining plutonium-producing reactors in Russia.

Secondary information