*11 Jun 2008 : Column 257W*
AWE Burghfield
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to
the Answer of 24 January 2008, Official Report, column 2138W, on AWE
Burghfield, in what way the emergency arrangements infrastructure at
AWE Burghfield was affected by the July 2007 flooding; and what steps
have been taken to remedy the situation. [208892]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: As a consequence of the flooding in July 2007, the
fallback incident control room, fallback medical centre and health
physics support areas at AWE Burghfield sustained some damage.
Contingency arrangements were put in place to ensure full emergency
response could be activated if required. These were considered by the
Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) to be adequate at all times
for the activities being undertaken. On 22 April 2008, AWE Burghfield
undertook its annual exercise on emergency response arrangements,
witnessed by the NII, who considered that the exercise adequately
demonstrated AWE Burghfield’s capability in this area.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to
the Answer of 20 May 2008, Official Report, column 178W, on AWE
Burghfield, how many of the safety shortfalls identified at AWE
Burghfield by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate remain
outstanding; and what the target date is for remedial work to be
completed. [208894]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The safety case issues to which the hon. Member
refers were identified not by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate,
but by AWE plc in its own Periodic Review of Safety. In my answer on
15 January 2008, Official Report, column 1132W, to the hon. Member for
Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock), I indicated that 50 work packages
were due for completion by 31 March 2008 and that the remaining 53
were scheduled to be complete by the end of the year. The 50 work
packages were completed by the due date. The remainder remain on
course for completion, as planned.
