NATIONAL RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION BOARD (CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT) ORDER 1980 (Hansard, 25 June 1980)

§ Lord SANDYS
My Lords, I beg to move the Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper, namely, That The National Radiological Protection Board (Constitution Amendment) Order 1980, laid before the House on 3rd June 1980, be approved.
The National Radiological Protection Board was set up in 1970 under the Radiological Protection Act 1970 to advance the acquisition of knowledge about radiation protection and to provide information and 1662 advice to those having responsibilities for this subject in the United Kingdom. Among other duties, the board has been specifically directed by the Secretary of State for Social Services, acting on behalf of all the Health Ministers in the United Kingdom, to advise appropriate Government departments and statutory bodies on the acceptability of standards of radiological protection proposed by international organisations.
Section 2(1) of the Act states that the board shall consist of a chairman and not less than seven, nor more than nine members. Section 2(2) gives powers to the Secretary of State to amend the size of the board by order, after consultation with the board, and subject to approval by each House. The order before the House seeks to enlarge the maximum permissible size of the board from nine to 12 members. The recent White Paper on Non-Departmental Public Bodies (Cmnd. 7797 of January 1980) recognised that the retention of the board was essential and this was accepted by the Government, but your Lordships may well ask why such a Quango should be enlarged at a time when the present Government have been seeking to reduce the number of such bodies. There are good reasons which have been supported both by the present and by previous Governments.
The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution in its Sixth Report Nuclear Power and the Environment, 1976, recommended that the composition and organisation of the board should be reviewed in the light of the additional responsibilities it recommended for the board. In May 1977, the Government responded in a White Paper of the same title (Cmnd. 6820) and undertook to carry out such a review. This review was in progress in January 1978 when Mr. Justice Parker reported on the inquiry at Wind-scale. He endorsed the advisory role of the board on radiation protection standards but recommended that consideration be given to the inclusion of some wholly independent person or body with environmental interests in the advisory system. The previous Administration concluded that the most appropriate and effective method of responding to these recommendations was to increase the authorised maximum size of the board from nine to 14 members and the then 1663 Secretary of State announced his intention of introducing an order to that effect in a written reply given in another place on 21st March 1979—Official Report, Commons, Vol. 964, No. 76, col. 642.
The present Government have given careful consideration to the need to enlarge the board and have also taken account of the proposed expansion of the nuclear power programme and the board's increased work on radioactivity in the environment. It is in agreement with the previous Administration on the need to expand the board but has concluded that it is sufficient to provide for a maximum of three rather than five extra members. This is not a political issue, merely a judgment that a more modest expansion is sufficient for practical purposes. The Secretary of State accordingly announced his intention to consult the board on the expansion of the board to a maximum of 12 members, in his reply to a written question in another place on 18th March 1980. The board has accepted this proposal.
It may reassure your Lordships to know that, apart from a modest salary paid to the chairman, the members of the board provide their valuable services without payment. In view of the important role of the board in advising on proper standards of radiation protection and the need to strengthen and broaden the expertise of the board's membership, I commend the draft National Radiological Protection Board (Constitution Amendment) Order 1980 for your Lordships' approval.

§ Lord WELLS-PESTELL
My Lords, we are grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Sandys, for introducing this order in some detail. We on this side of the House approve the order and give it our support and backing. I do not think there is any need for me to say much, other than that the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments, I note, made no comment whatsoever on this order; and, as your Lordships know, they are a very good watchdog in matters of this kind. In view of our knowledge of the environmental situation today, new developments, 1664 the observations of Mr. Justice Parker when he took the Windscale inquiry, and the fact that we are very much concerned with a good deal of nuclear development, it is desirable that we have on this broad members (other than members of the medical profession) who can look after the more scientific, specialised aspects of the environmental factors. Therefore, we approve the increase in the number of members of the board.

§ The PRINCIPAL DEPUTY CHAIRMAN of COMMITTEES (Baroness White)
My Lords, as a member of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, which a long time ago recommended this addition to the numbers of the board, may I say that we are grateful that at long last our recommendations should be given effect. It is regrettable that quite so much time has been taken over deciding to do this. There have been delays along the line, partly owing to the change of Administration; but that, after all, was some while back. However, better late than never. I am sure the Government will take great care in choosing appropriate persons to be added to the board so that the breadth of interest and experience which we hoped for may be forthcoming.

§ Lord SANDYS
My Lords, I am grateful to both speakers for supporting the order in the terms that they have and, despite the strictures of the noble Baroness concerning the timetable, I commend this order to your Lordships.