§ Mr. Douglasasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a further statement regarding the disappearance of a radioactive isotope from the Royal Naval dockyard at Rosyth.
§ Mr. SpeedOn 31 March, during one of the searches which have continued since the loss of the radioactive source at Rosyth naval base, the container was found in an area of the radiologically controlled zone which had previously been searched, but the source itself was missing. A minute search of that zone was started immediately and is still continuing.
The board of inquiry into the loss has completed its work.
As regards security in both the sense of access to and custody of classified or valuable material and in the broader sense of safety from radiation or other hazards, the board's findings were that the general level has been satisfactory, with the exception of the control of the source and some minor weaknesses in other areas. Action has been taken to correct these shortcomings.
The board of inquiry was not able to establish the cause and circumstances of the loss of the source.