§ 3.40 p.m.
§ VISCOUNT SWINTONMy Lords, with the leave of the House, I will now make a statement similar to one which has just been made by my right honourable friend the Prime Minister, in another place, about the Monte Bello explosion. It is as follows:
"The object of the test was to investigate the effects of an atomic explosion in a harbour. The weapon was accordingly placed in H.M.S. 'Plym', a frigate of 1,450 tons, which was anchored in the Monte Bello Islands. Conditions were favourable and care was take to wait for southerly winds, so as to avoid the possibility of any significant concentration of radioactive particles spreading over the Australian mainland. Specimen structures of importance to civil defence and to the Armed Services were erected at various distances. Instruments were set up to record the effect of contamination, blast, heat flash, gamma ray flash and other factors of interest.
"The weapon was exploded in the morning of the 3rd of October. Thousands of tons of water, and of mud and rock from the sea bottom, were thrown many thousands of feet into the air and a high tidal wave was caused. The effects of blast and radioactive contamination extended over a wide area and H.M.S. 'Plym' was vaporised except for some red-hot fragments which were scattered over one of the Islands and started fires in the dry vegetation. Very soon after the explosion two naval officers undertook the dangerous task of flying helicopters over the heavily contaminated lagoon where 'Plym' had lain. This was in order to take samples of the water, so that its radioactivity could be measured. After a longer interval, scientists and Service personnel in protective clothing entered the contaminated area to examine the effect and to recover records.
"Technical descriptions of the performance of the bomb cannot, of course, be given. It may, however, be said that the weapon behaved exactly as expected and forecast in many precise details by Dr. W. G. Penney, whose services were of the highest 934 order. Scientific observations and measurements show that the weapon does not contradict the natural expectation that progress in this sphere would be continual. To give some idea of the character of the explosion perhaps I might say this. Normal blood temperature is 98⅖ degrees. When the flash first burst through the hull of 'Plym' the temperature was nearly 1,000,000 degrees. It was, of course, far higher at the point of explosion.
"The explosion caused no casualties to the personnel of the expedition. No animals were used in the test. Apart from some local rats which were killed, no mammals were seen in the affected area, and such birds as there were had mostly been frightened away by the earlier preparations.
"Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom wish to express their indebtedness for all the help received from Australia. Not only did the Australian Commonwealth allow us to use their territory for the test, but all branches of their Government, and particularly the Navy, Army and Air Force, gave us most valuable collaboration in the preparation and execution of this important experiment. All those concerned in the production of the first British atomic weapon are to be warmly congratulated on the successful outcome of this historic episode."
The Prime Minister added:
I should no doubt pay my compliments to the Leader of the Opposition and the Party opposite for initiating it.
§ 3.44 p.m.
§ EARL JOWITTMy Lords, it is obviously undesirable to ask for technical details, and I should be quite unable to understand the answers if I received them. But may I ask this question: am I right in assuming that the outcome of this test reflects the highest credit on the scientists and technologists concerned, who apparently have successfully overcome the complex, novel and intricate problems which had to be solved?
§ VISCOUNT SWINTONYes indeed. The tribute which the noble and learned Earl has paid is amply justified in every particular.