Britain becoming world's nuclear waste dump

12.00.00pm GMT Thu 16th Mar 2006

David Howarth, MP for Cambridge and Member of the Environmental Audit Committee, has today expressed his concern over new figures which show that Britain is becoming a nuclear waste dump.

Government figures show that tens of thousands of tonnes of radioactive waste are being made in Britain from spent nuclear fuel imported from other countries. The UK does not allow the importing of radioactive waste but 25% of all the radioactive waste in Britain has been created from spent fuel sent here from abroad for reprocessing.

Mr. Howarth commented:

"It is very dishonest for Ministers to state that they do not allow the importing of radioactive waste and then create tens of thousands of tonnes from imported spent fuel.

"It costs £56billion to clean up the radioactive waste currently held in this country. Does the Government intend to return this waste to its country of origin?"