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Proliferation in Parliament

Back to Proliferation in Parliament, Winter 2008

Scottish Parliament

Questions

S3O-4546 - Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP) (Date Lodged Thursday, October 09, 2008): what information it received about the 100 nuclear safety lapses at Faslane and Coulport since June 2006, given that one such incident was categorised as having a “high potential for actual radioactive release to the environment”.

Answered by Kenny MacAskill (Thursday, October 09, 2008): This is a reserved issue and a matter for the Ministry of Defence. There are no routine arrangements in place to notify the Scottish Government of minor on-site incidents at naval sites. The Scottish Government is opposed to the use or holding of nuclear weapons on Scottish soil, and has established a Working Group tasked with reviewing the adequacy of the current licensing and regulatory framework that exists in relation to HM Naval Base Clyde and its impact on environmental, planning and transport issues.

Motions

S3M-02737 Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Scottish Labour): A Budget for Peace not War— That the Parliament congratulates Scotland’s for Peace for organising the People’s Budget for Peace gathering on Saturday 25 October 2008 in George Square, Glasgow; notes that supporters of the gathering include Scottish CND, UNISON Scotland, STUC, Oxfam, Campaign Against Arms Trade and the Scottish Islamic Foundation; considers that the UK Government’s plan to renew and replace Trident would have an impact on matters devolved to the Parliament for the next 50 years; expresses concern that the UK Government is spending £2 billion a year on Trident, almost twice as much as five years ago, and at least another £2 billion a year on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; suggests that Scotland’s share of that money would be £340 million a year; acknowledges that most Scots think that this money should be spent instead on tackling poverty and climate change; believes that a convincing case can be made, in military, economic and political terms, for the non-renewal of Trident; is concerned that that the money for Trident will be paid for by cuts in other UK Government budgets, including public services, and calls on the majority of Scottish MPs of all parties who voted against Trident renewal on 14 March 2007 to encourage the UK Government to spend this money on public services and tackling global climate change and world poverty.

Supported by: Stuart McMillan, Bashir Ahmad, Bill Kidd, Jamie Hepburn, Robin Harper, Sandra White, Kenneth Gibson, Cathy Peattie, Bill Butler, Bob Doris, Roseanna Cunningham, Christina McKelvie, Elaine Smith, Hugh O'Donnell, Gil Paterson, Dave Thompson, Keith Brown, Joe FitzPatrick

Lodged on Monday, October 20, 2008; Current

S3M-02716 Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (Scottish National Party): Secrecy Over Real Nuclear Threat Revealed— That the Parliament condemns secrecy and misinformation surrounding the nuclear industry as illustrated by documents only released after freedom of information requests revealed that key radiation alarms at Burghfield in England, where Britain’s Trident warheads are dismantled and reassembled for maintenance, designed to detect an impending nuclear accident were disabled by last year’s floods; regrets that, despite the consortium that runs Burghfield describing the risk of a critical nuclear event as incredible, the full details were deliberately kept from the public and local authorities, with UK defence ministers telling MPs that there had been only minor disruption, and believes that such manipulation by UK Government officials and the nuclear industry aimed at concealing the true dangers of nuclear weapons and energy offer further proof as to why the Parliament is justified in asserting opposition to nuclear energy and weapons.

Supported by: Rob Gibson, Aileen Campbell, Bob Doris, Bashir Ahmad, Jamie Hepburn, Joe FitzPatrick, Dr Bill Wilson, Angela Constance, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Brian Adam, Alex Neil, Sandra White, Robin Harper, Dave Thompson, Stuart McMillan, Gil Paterson

Lodged on Wednesday, October 15, 2008; Current

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