Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what notice is given to local government emergency services on nuclear warhead convoys and consignments of high level nuclear waste passing through their areas.

Police forces are always notified in advance of a nuclear weapon convoy being routed through their area. Police forces may advise fire and rescue services of the presence of the convoy if it is moving into the vicinity of a fire service operation. I am withholding specific information on the period of notice given to emergency services as its disclosure would prejudice the capability, effectiveness and security of the armed forces.

The Ministry of Defence holds no High Level Waste as part of the Defence Nuclear Programme.

For those movements of civil nuclear and radioactive material that the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is responsible for, the relevant police authorities are involved in the planning stages and are aware of upcoming movements of material. The other emergency services are involved on a case by case basis, but for higher category material, all three emergency services sit in the Multi-Agency Command Centre and will be aware movements are due to take place.