TNAG-1503-FCO40-2061-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 92

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OPERATION OF A POWER STATION WILL BE ENTIRELY PROBLEM-FREE. NO

POWER STATION IS ABSOLUTELY SAFE, WHETHER NUCLEAR OR CONVENTIONAL. THE QUESTION IS WHETHER THE PROBABILITY OF AN

ACCIDENT IS ACCEPTABLY LOW AND WHETHER THE CONSEQUENCES OF ANY SUCH ACCIDENT CAN BE CONTAINED. THE REPORT OF THE UMELCO FACT-FINDING TEAMS FULLY RECOGNISES THIS POINT. AGAINST THE VERY LOW PROBABILITY OF ACCIDENTS, IF SAFETY ASPECTS ARE PROPERLY

OBSERVED IN DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF NUCLEAR POWER

STATIONS, MUST BE SET THE UNDOUBTED BENEFITS OF NUCLEAR POWER.

5.

FOR OUR PART THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT BELIEVE THAT THE

BALANCE OF RISK AND BENEFIT IN THE USE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY IS AN

ACCEPTABLE ONE FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM. LIKE CHINA AND VIRTUALLY

ALL OTHER MAJOR INDUSTRIAL ECONOMIES WE HAVE DECIDED THAT A

SUBSTANTIAL NUCLEAR COMPONENT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN OUR

ELECTRICITY GENERATING CAPABILITY. IT IS REASSURING THAT CHINESE

HAVE DECIDED TO WORK TOWARDS THIS IN ASSOCIATION WITH WESTERN

COUNTRIES WITH LONG EXPERIENCE AND EXCELLENT SAFETY RECORDS,

RATHER THAN USING OTHER MODELS OR TRYING TO GO IT ALONE.

IT IS IN ALL OUR INTERESTS TO ENCOURAGE THIS.

6.

ITS THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT

NOTES THAT THE CHINESE HAVE OPTED NOT ONLY FOR FRENCH REACTORS

BUT ALSO FOR FRENCH EXPERTISE IN A WIDE RANGE OF ACTIVITIES

ASSOCIATED WITH THE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE

PROJECT. YOU WILL APPRECIATE THAT I AM NOT IN A POSITION TO

SPEAK AS AUTHORITATIVELY ABOUT THIS REACTOR AS I COULD ABOUT A

BRITISH ONE, SINCE THE PLANT AT DAYA BAY IS TO BE BUILT TO A

FRENCH DESIGN AND OPERATED IN CHINA.

7.

HOWEVER, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT RECOGNISES THAT THE

FRENCH HAVE A LONG AND SUCCESSFUL RECORD IN DESIGNING AND

BUILDING PWR REACTORS AND AN UNCHALLENGEABLE SAFETY RECORD. THEY

HAVE BUILT REACTORS IN MANY COUNTRIES. ALL THESE HAVE NO DOUBT

REQUIRED TO BE FULLY SATISFIED AS REGARDS SAFETY STANDARDS. THEY

HAVE INCLUDED BOTH EUROPEAN COUNTRIES LIKE BELGIUM, AND MORE

DISTANT COUNTRIES LIKE KOREA WITHOUT HIGHLY DEVELOPED INDIGENOUS

PRECISION ENGINEERING CAPABLITIES OF THEIR OWN.

8.

THEREFORE WE HAVE NO REASON TO DOUBT THAT THE DESIGN AND

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