CUMBRIA TRUST’S QUESTIONNAIRE – Response from Rozila Kana
QUESTIONS:
1) Do you believe that the construction of GDFs is the correct solution for dealing with the
permanent disposal of the country’s nuclear waste?
YES/NO/DON’T KNOW
Until and unless there is an alternative a GDF is probably the correct solution, and this is
acknowledged internationally.
2) Irrespective of your answer to question 1, do you believe that before any volunteers are
sought a properly conducted National Geological Screening exercise should be carried out to
establish the regions which are likely to contain the most appropriate geology for the
construction of the safest possible GDF?
YES/NO
Without a doubt, yes.
3) If there are no communities willing to volunteer in those areas, do you consider it
appropriate for the Government/NDA to select less suitable areas where there are
volunteers?
YES/NO
No. The safest GDF should be based on the right geological formation.
4) Would you be happy for West Cumbria to be considered as a potential site for a GDF despite
its geological shortcomings?
YES/ NO/ I STILL DON’T BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE GEOLOGICAL SHORTCOMINGS
No. I believe many studies have clearly shown that West Cumbria is geologically
unsuitable and there are too many constraining factors, such as protected sites/areas.
5) Would you be happy for the process to proceed, if the only volunteers were yet again in
West Cumbria?
YES/ NO
No. Communities may volunteer but if the geology is not right, no amount of volunteering
will make it so!
6) What is your understanding of a “Host Community”
a) A house
b) A street
c) A parish or Town
d)
e)
f)
g)
A District Council
A County Council
A region
Other
A county council or even a defined region.
7) Do you agree with the exclusion of the County Councils in two tier authorities from the
decision making process as prescribed by the White Paper?
YES / NO
No; this will not be democracy.
8) Do you believe that exploration work (such as drilling) should commence without local
planning authority consent? This could be very intrusive.
YES / NO
No. The county council is elected to protect the 'local' community and should have a say
in the matter.
9) Do you be believe that National Parks (including LDNP) should be ruled out from
consideration as sites for GDFs?
YES/NO
Yes
10) Do you believe other environmentally sensitive sites such as AONBs, SACs and SSSIs should
also be ruled out?
YES/ NO
Yes
11) Before construction work commences there needs to be a show of public support:
11-1) How should this support be assessed?
A comprehensive regional referendum but unbiased facts and figures must be distributed and
the people must know what the issues are and what they are voting or not voting for in
plain simple English
11-2) And what members of the public should be involved?:
h)
i)
j)
k)
l)
m)
n)
A house
A street
A parish or Town
A District Council
A County Council
A region
Other
County council or region.
12) Do you feel that Cumbrian residents and businesses are justified in being concerned that the
construction of a GDF in West Cumbria would adversely affect their lives and businesses not
only during the years of construction but thereafter?
Yes / NO
Yes. It will certainly affect their lives for generations to come and alter the county
adversely.
13) Do you consider it advisable to have Sellafield, Moorside (with 3 nuclear power plants) and a
GDF in close proximity taking into account that a serious incident at just one of these
facilities could force all of them to shut down?
YES/NO
Of course not. We cannot be assured by either governments or the nuclear industry that
the proposals are safe.
14) During the MRWS process great play was made about the job opportunities a GDF would
bring to Cumbria. As a specialist workforce with experience in tunnelling etc will be required
to carry out the construction work, do you agree that the lion’s share of the employment
opportunities would not have gone to local Cumbrians?
YES/NO
Yes, there will be considerable limitations of the local work force and specialist employees
will have to be imported in. This will affect, among many other things, higher prices and
availability of housing, the inadequate infrastructure, the demands on our health services
and schools. There would be significant ramifications.
15) Are you concerned that only about 15% of Sellafield supply chain/decommissioning
expenditure is spent within Cumbria?
YES/NO
Yes, of course. There must be a much more earnest endeavour to ensure that far more of
the contractual work and supply chain is serviced by Cumbrian companies.
RESPONSES COMPLETED ON BEHALF OF (name of candidate):
ROZILA KANA - CONSERVATIVE PPC - WORKINGTON.