§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for Transport whether there is any evidence that the nuclear waste containers carried by British Railways become more radioactive through the paintwork; and what efforts are made to trap the rainwater which touches this paintwork.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeIt has long been known that during loading of irradiated fuel some small amounts of radioactivity may be absorbed by the paint on the exterior of the flask; during transport some such activity may migrate to the surface of the paint so that the activity levels at the end of the journey are sometimes higher than at the start. I am informed by the CEGB, which is the consignor of these materials and, as such, responsible for this aspect of the safety requirement that its flasks are cleaned before dispatch to levels that are so low that even if activity is transferred to rainwater it does not constitute a hazard.
§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for Transport whether any checks are carried out by British Railways on those railway lines which carry spent nuclear waste for radiation.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeMinisters are not responsible for the operational practices of the Railways Board. I understand from it, however, that each flask and wagon is checked at each end of the journey and that random checks are made during transit. If any level of radioactivity in excess of that permitted by the regulations were to be detected, checks along the track used would be made if necessary.