The UK's civil plutonium stockpile has been accumulated as a by-product of nuclear power generation and poses both a national and international security risk and must be dealt with accordingly. Unfortunately, it has been nine years since the Royal Society initially raised these concerns and we have not seen any progress towards a management strategy.
The Society is currently updating its 1998 report on the management of separated plutonium.
DTI: Management of separated plutonium
16 February 2007
The Society has written to Alistair Darling, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, urging the Government to develop a management strategy for separated plutonium during its deliberations on energy policy and dealing with the wastes from energy generation.