First Case For Scottish Parliament

Dounraey Reprocessing Plant

Anti-nuclear campaigners have called on the Scottish Secretary to halt negotiations aimed at bringing a large shipment of nuclear fuel rods from Australia for reprocessing at Dounreay. Critics of the trade say it is a vital issue which should be considered by the future Scottish Parliament.

The Australians have already used Dounreay to reprocess nuclear fuel. Now they are negotiating with the Caithness plant to send a further 1,300 fuel rods to Scotland. Dounreay wants the work, but does not want to carry it out until 2001 at the earliest - plenty of time, say opponents, for the Scottish parliament to rule on the issue of importing nuclear material for recycling.

Campaigners say the Secretary of State, Donald Dewar, should halt discussions now. In reply he said, "Of course, the Scottish parliament will have important environmental powers. That is at the heart of the devolution settlement. We can't put all environmental issues into cold storage until the year 2000 and after."

Dounreay denies it's trying to rush through the contract to avoid scrutiny by the new Edinburgh parliament. The plant insists it still reports to the Department of Transport and Industry in London. Nuclear safety is a power which is reserved to Wesminster, but with powers over economic development and pollution being devolved to Scotland, this could be one of the earliest conflicts to develop between the responsibilities of the two legislatures.