Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): *To ask the Scottish Government whether civil contingency plans will be revised in light of the recent disclosure that radioactive coolant from a nuclear submarine leaked at HM Naval Base Clyde. (S3O-7160) ... more

Political assessment of Aldermaston recruitment and the prospects for not renewing Trident in a Letter to the Guardian by Dr David Lowry 2nd May 2009 ... more

The City of Plymouth should say NO to nuclear submarine dismantlement in Devonport Dockyard says the Campaigning Against Nuclear Storage And Radiation. ... more

NIS Directors are delighted to announce that Dr. Peter Burt, an experienced and knowledgeable disarmament worker, is to take over as NIS Project Director. With a doctorate in Applied Biology, Peter has an impressive track record as a researcher, trainer and lecturer in environmental, human rights and disarmament disciplines, and has worked as a consultant with NIS over the past year. Peter will be in place from May 2009 for a transitional hand-over period with the retiring Director, Di McDonald. ... more

Two stories on the safety failings at the Faslane base.

Devastating admissions about one of Britain’s most significant nuclear sites are disclosed in MoD documents released under the Freedom of Information Act...

Safety failings are "a recurring theme" at the nuclear submarine base at Faslane. The transfer of three Trafalgar class submarines to Faslane is causing public alarm on the Clyde...

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The Nuclear Awareness Group (NAG),  based in Reading, has lodged a complaint with West Berkshire Council over the handling of a planning application at AWE in Burghfield by outlining their concerns about the way plans to build a new nuclear warhead facility were handled.

Full article:

http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/News/
Article.aspx?articleID=9837

A greatly reduced warhead workload at AWE is reported in the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate's 2008 AWE Quarterly Reports[1]. Nukewatch, the Citizen's Verification group that observes warhead transport confirms that only one new or refurbished warhead was processed and delivered into service in 2008; four were taken apart, according to the evidence. ... more

In addition to equipment failures, the government has listed 14 collisions involving British nuclear submarines since 1988 and 237 fires on board the fleet of vessels.

BBC 3rd Apr 2009 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7981569.stm