Radioactive Materials
Energy and Climate Change
David Morris (Morecambe and Lunesdale, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the licensing process of the National Nuclear Laboratory to refine, sell and export non-prolific nuclear material.
Mark Prisk (Minister of State (Business and Enterprise), Business, Innovation and Skills; Hertford and Stortford, Conservative)
I have been asked to reply
on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).
I understand your question relates to the substance Americium-241, the export of which requires an export licence issued by the Export Control Organisation (ECO) within BIS. All such export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis by the ECO against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. A licence will not be issued if to do so would contravene the criteria. The ECO has not received any export licence applications from the National Nuclear Laboratory for this substance therefore no such assessment has been made.