§ 23. Mr. Sorensenasked the Minister of Health, as representing the Minister for Science, in view of increased mortality from leukemia during the past thirty years, to what extent he has related the figures in recent years to the number of nuclear atomic bomb tests.
§ Mr. Walker-SmithThe extent to which the increased incidence of leukemia over the past thirty years may be related to increased exposure of the population to radiation from all sources is, of course, being closely studied by the Medical Research Council. All the expert bodies that have reported on the hazards to man of nuclear radiation have agreed that in the light of the available evidence it is impossible to state whether fall-out from nuclear weapon tests has had any effect on the mortality from leukemia.
§ Mr. SorensenHas the Minister any figures to show that the increase in leukemia has been greater since these atomic tests have been taking place, in which case would not that give some indication of what is happening?
§ Mr. Walker-SmithThe increase in mortality from leukemia dates not just from the last seven years of the nuclear tests but over the last thirty years, during which period the exposure of the population to radiation has increased owing to the greater use of radiology in medical practice and, to a smaller extent, because of the various forms of radiation in industry. The further increase in radiation exposure due to fall-out from test explosions which has taken place over the last seven years has been very much smaller. With such minute differences, no conclusions could be drawn from any comparison.