TNAG-0024-FCO40-60-Visits-by-nuclear-powered-ships-1968 — Page 6

MS 77/23/014 N/SHO/917/6/67

CONFIDENTIAL

4648

71

22nd January, 1968.

Thank you for your letter of 8th December. We have carefully considered the additional points you make. However, we still conclude that the factors governing the safety of nuclear warships and merchant ships are sufficiently similar not to justify our making a clear distinction in our treatment of them at present. We should prefer to be guided in matters of environmental control by the N.P.W.S.C. before we recommend a general policy change for merchant ships, whether visiting Hong Kong or the United Kingdon.

2. In the circumstances therefore, I reluctantly conclude that a further round of talks with the Americans would be unproductive, and that in those circumstances it would be wrong to suggest to the Americans that it should take place.

I hope you will be able to bear with us a little longer whilst we wait for the findings of the N.P.W.S.C.

3. There is obviously a measure of disagreement between us about the relative safety factors in surface vessels with inbuilt safeguards and submarines which admittedly are difficult to quantify. Our view remains in essence that, whilst we recognise the effectiveness of the inbuilt safeguards for the "Savannah" (both structural safeguards and the fact that it can be towed out to sea in an emergency), the failure of these would cause a greater contamination, being atmospheric, than a failure in a submarine, from which the contamination would be hydrospheric. Whilst the respective safety factors cannot be related exactly, we do feel that the problems involved are of sufficient similarity, and potential risk, to make us reluctant to move without the considered views of N.P.W.S.C., whose remit certainly relates indirectly to the safety of merchant ships. I am sorry we do not feel able to act as you suggest since I share your view that monitoring teams should be dispensed with as soon as we are satisfied that they are not necessary.

I am copying this to Gaminara in the Commonwealth Office.

V EAST PAPER

I

(S. N. Burbridge)

J. E. D. Street, Esq., C.M.G.,

Shore Division (N),

Ministry of Defence,

Old War Office Building,

Whitehall,

S.W.1.

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