The Ministry of Defence has begun spending £1.3 billion as part of plans for 14 major new developments at the Trident nuclear bases on the Clyde in Scotland. Details released under the Freedom of Information act show MoD plans to complete a ‘nuclear infrastructure’ project at Faslane by 2027, and at Coulport by 2030. The total cost of replacing Trident, estimated to be at least £205 billion including maintenance costs, looks set to rise, while fears are also growing about the safety of Trident. The body which monitors nuclear safety – the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator – has recently been censored by the Ministry of Defence. For the past 10 years the regulator has published annual reports exploring issues including staff shortages at nuclear sites and nuclear accidents. However, reports for 2015 and 2016 have been blocked by the MoD. Retired MoD nuclear expert, Fred Dawson, was quoted in the Sunday Herald saying, “The obvious conclusion to draw is that there is something to hide.”
Ekklesia 16th Nov 2017 read more »
