State papers 1987: Stinging rebuke to call to shut Sellafield

The minister for the environment, Ray Burke, received a stinging reply from his British counterpart after calling for the closure of the Sellafield nuclear processing plant in 1987, writes Seán McCárthaigh    

State papers released under the 30-year rule show the UK energy secretary, Peter Walker, totally rejected what he claimed were Mr Burke’s “unfounded allegations” about the safety of British nuclear energy facilities.

The Tory MP also said he could not accept comments made by Mr Burke about Sellafield.