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Written question asked by Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 22 July 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 1 September 2025. It was answered by Maria Eagle (Labour) on Monday, 1 September 2025 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.


Nuclear Weapons: Decommissioning

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much plutonium has been recovered as part of the Mk4A Trident warhead dismantlement programme; what proportion has been re-used in current warhead systems; where remaining material is stored; and what the total cost of the programme has been to date.

Answer

The Mk4 warhead components are being disassembled and re-used, recycled or safely disposed of at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Burghfield site, following the transition to the Mk4A warhead in 2023. The cost of disassembling our nuclear warheads and details around the reuse of components are being withheld for national security reasons.

AWE is committed to the safe and secure handling, storage and disposal of radioactive materials, and this activity is regulated by the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
70223
Session
2024-26
Related items
Nuclear Weapons: Decommissioning
Wednesday, 7 January 2026
Written questions
House of Commons
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Decommissioning Costs Nuclear weapons Storage Plutonium
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk