Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07LONDON1420
2007-04-17 12:54:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy London
Cable title:
(C) HMG UNLIKELY TO PARTICIPATE IN GLOBAL NUCLEAR
how-toVZCZCXYZ0003 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHLO #1420 1071254 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 171254Z APR 07 FM AMEMBASSY LONDON TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2971 INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 0870 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 2243 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 2859 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 1030 RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 0270 RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 001420
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
T FOR JIM TIMBIE
DOE/NE FOR MAUREEN CLAPPER AND EDWARD MCGINNIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2017
TAGS: ENRG TRGY KNNP IAEA AORC UK
SUBJECT: (C) HMG UNLIKELY TO PARTICIPATE IN GLOBAL NUCLEAR
ENERGY PARTNERSHIP MINISTERIAL
REF: A. STATE 42657
B. 06 LONDON 03014
Classified By: Acting Economic Minister-Counselor
Sandra E. Clark for reason 1.4 (b).
C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 001420
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
T FOR JIM TIMBIE
DOE/NE FOR MAUREEN CLAPPER AND EDWARD MCGINNIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2017
TAGS: ENRG TRGY KNNP IAEA AORC UK
SUBJECT: (C) HMG UNLIKELY TO PARTICIPATE IN GLOBAL NUCLEAR
ENERGY PARTNERSHIP MINISTERIAL
REF: A. STATE 42657
B. 06 LONDON 03014
Classified By: Acting Economic Minister-Counselor
Sandra E. Clark for reason 1.4 (b).
1. (SBU) This is an action request. See para 6.
2. (C) SUMMARY: HMG is unlikely to attend the Global
Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) Ministerial on May
21 in Washington. Given the pending HMG decision on
the expansion of nuclear technology, HMG believes that
attending the GNEP meeting would attract attention to
its sensitive, domestic nuclear issue. When the
domestic consultation period on the UK energy white
paper ends in September, HMG plans to publicly support
GNEP. END SUMMARY
3. (C) Mel Draper, Department of Trade and Industry's
(DTI) Director for Nonproliferation, told EmbOffs on
April 16 that HMG does not plan to send officials from
London to the May 1 GNEP pre-meeting, nor is it likely
that the UK would attend the Ministerial-level meeting
(ref A). Stephen Walsgrove, head of the DTI Nuclear
Consultations and Liabilities Unit, said the UK
embassy in Washington may participate in the May 1
meeting.
4. (C) Draper and Walsgrove said it would be
difficult to send even an observer to the Ministerial
meeting. They told us that to publicly support GNEP
during the same period HMG releases and begins
conducting public consultations of its energy policy
white paper would draw more negative publicity to this
already challenging domestic situation, in which HMG
is accused of having made up its mind on nuclear
energy without properly consulting the public. (NOTE:
Prime Minister Blair and DTI Secretary Darling
continue to state publicly that HMG will support
nuclear power within its energy mix, as it has a role
to play in cutting emissions and providing energy
security. END NOTE.)
5. (C) Per EmbOffs' request, Walsgrove will provide
HMG comments on the GNEP Statement of Principles.
(NOTE: We believe taking HMG views into consideration
will facilitate official HMG endorsement of GNEP in
the autumn. END NOTE.) Additionally, Neil Tuley, DTI
Principal Safeguards Advisor, told EmbOffs that the UK
will need additional details on the "back end" of
GNEP, including the plans to deal with nuclear waste
material from spent fuel. If the UK reprocesses spent
fuel, UK legislation requires the nuclear waste
byproduct to be exported to the country requesting the
reprocessing. HMG suspects other countries would have
the same legal restrictions.
6. (C) ACTION REQUEST: Please provide any
additional details on GNEP that can be passed to HMG.
In particular, HMG is interested in the plans for
dealing with spent fuel. HMG would like to know if
the USG is facing the same legislative issues on
nuclear waste and, if so, how the USG is dealing with
the issue. HMG also would be interested in knowing if
there have been any updates to the GNEP plan since
their last briefing (March 2006) in London from USG
officials (ref B). END ACTION REQUEST.
Visit London's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/london/index. cfm
Tuttle
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
T FOR JIM TIMBIE
DOE/NE FOR MAUREEN CLAPPER AND EDWARD MCGINNIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2017
TAGS: ENRG TRGY KNNP IAEA AORC UK
SUBJECT: (C) HMG UNLIKELY TO PARTICIPATE IN GLOBAL NUCLEAR
ENERGY PARTNERSHIP MINISTERIAL
REF: A. STATE 42657
B. 06 LONDON 03014
Classified By: Acting Economic Minister-Counselor
Sandra E. Clark for reason 1.4 (b).
1. (SBU) This is an action request. See para 6.
2. (C) SUMMARY: HMG is unlikely to attend the Global
Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) Ministerial on May
21 in Washington. Given the pending HMG decision on
the expansion of nuclear technology, HMG believes that
attending the GNEP meeting would attract attention to
its sensitive, domestic nuclear issue. When the
domestic consultation period on the UK energy white
paper ends in September, HMG plans to publicly support
GNEP. END SUMMARY
3. (C) Mel Draper, Department of Trade and Industry's
(DTI) Director for Nonproliferation, told EmbOffs on
April 16 that HMG does not plan to send officials from
London to the May 1 GNEP pre-meeting, nor is it likely
that the UK would attend the Ministerial-level meeting
(ref A). Stephen Walsgrove, head of the DTI Nuclear
Consultations and Liabilities Unit, said the UK
embassy in Washington may participate in the May 1
meeting.
4. (C) Draper and Walsgrove said it would be
difficult to send even an observer to the Ministerial
meeting. They told us that to publicly support GNEP
during the same period HMG releases and begins
conducting public consultations of its energy policy
white paper would draw more negative publicity to this
already challenging domestic situation, in which HMG
is accused of having made up its mind on nuclear
energy without properly consulting the public. (NOTE:
Prime Minister Blair and DTI Secretary Darling
continue to state publicly that HMG will support
nuclear power within its energy mix, as it has a role
to play in cutting emissions and providing energy
security. END NOTE.)
5. (C) Per EmbOffs' request, Walsgrove will provide
HMG comments on the GNEP Statement of Principles.
(NOTE: We believe taking HMG views into consideration
will facilitate official HMG endorsement of GNEP in
the autumn. END NOTE.) Additionally, Neil Tuley, DTI
Principal Safeguards Advisor, told EmbOffs that the UK
will need additional details on the "back end" of
GNEP, including the plans to deal with nuclear waste
material from spent fuel. If the UK reprocesses spent
fuel, UK legislation requires the nuclear waste
byproduct to be exported to the country requesting the
reprocessing. HMG suspects other countries would have
the same legal restrictions.
6. (C) ACTION REQUEST: Please provide any
additional details on GNEP that can be passed to HMG.
In particular, HMG is interested in the plans for
dealing with spent fuel. HMG would like to know if
the USG is facing the same legislative issues on
nuclear waste and, if so, how the USG is dealing with
the issue. HMG also would be interested in knowing if
there have been any updates to the GNEP plan since
their last briefing (March 2006) in London from USG
officials (ref B). END ACTION REQUEST.
Visit London's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/london/index. cfm
Tuttle