§ VISCOUNT THURSOMy Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government the number of hydrogen bombs exploded by the Governments of the U.S.S.R. and the U.S.A. during 1956, and the number exploded up to the present date in 1957; the sites of these explosions and the approximate number of people living within 750,000 square miles of the sites; whether the attention of Her Majesty's Government has been drawn to the estimate by the American scientist, Dr. Linus Pauling, that the explosion of the British hydrogen bomb, if it takes place this year, will result in the deaths of at least one thousand people; and whether they have any idea of the number of deaths caused by the Russian and American explosions which have taken place during 1956 and 1957.]
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS AND LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (THE EARL OF HOME)My Lords, from the beginning of 1956 to the present time fourteen nuclear tests by the U.S.S.R. have been reported and the United States authorities have announced that they have carried out one test series. I cannot say how many thermo-nuclear explosions were included in these tests. The Russian tests are believed to have occurred in South-West Siberia. The United States tests took place in the Marshall Islands. It is impossible to give even a rough estimate of the number of people living within the 750,000 square miles of the test sites in either case. The Medical Research Council, to whom the Government look for advice on radiation hazards, take the view that there is insufficient evidence to justify making the kind of estimate which has been attributed to Dr. Linus Pauling. We 295 have no information that any deaths have been caused by the Russian and American explosions during 1956–57.
§ VISCOUNT THURSOMy Lords, I should like to thank the noble Earl for the full Answer which he has given to my rather unusually detailed Question. But could the noble Earl say whether there is any evidence to show that it has been the practice of the Government of the U.S.S.R. to make effective clearances of, let us say, roughly 750,000 square miles, like the one we are making, before these tests are carried out; or are the unfortunate people living within range of the fall-out of these tests left to their own chances of survival?
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, I have no information either way. Certainly I do not think we have any information that the areas have been cleared. In fact, we have no information to show how the Russians deal with the area and the people in it before the tests are made.
§ VISCOUNT THURSOMy Lords, would it not be possible to ascertain whether in fact there have been transferences of population on a substantial scale in order to save them from the effects of possible fall-out? Surely movements of population on this scale could hardly escape the investigation of Her Majesty's Government. Could the Government ascertain whether there is any trace at all of the making of movements to safeguard lives in the case of these Russian tests?
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, I will, of course, try to ascertain the facts for the noble Viscount. But great movements of population for various purposes go on within the Soviet Union, and I am not sure whether we shall be able to produce the information for which he asks. But I will try.