HC Deb 02 November 1983 vol 47 cc379-80W
Dr. Cunningham

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about recent allegations concerning radioactive material emanating from the British Nuclear Fuels plant at Sellafield and its possible connection with public health in west Cumbria.

Mr. Patrick Jenkin

Recent media reports, including a Yorkshire Television programme last night, have discussed the levels of radioactivity in the neighbourhood of the BNFL works at Sellafield and in particular have drawn attention to an apparently high incidence of cancer among children and young people. The reports have linked this with the discharges of radioactive substances from the Sellafield works.

I appreciate the natural concern aroused by these reports. They have not indicated levels of radioactivity out of line with those recorded in previous monitoring and the radiological significance of the levels quoted has been exaggerated. It is none the less right that we should take seriously any evidence of an abnormally high rate of cancer even though such evidence is difficult to assess.

The National Radiological Protection Board is working closely with Oxford university on studies into the incidence of leukaemia clusters and other cancers. This may well contribute to our evaluation of the situation at Seascale. In addition, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services has invited the distinguished medical scientist Sir Douglas Black, who is a former president of the Royal College of Physicians, to consider the evidence concerning the alleged cluster in the neighbourhood of Sellafield and its causation, to determine the need for any further research and to make recommendations.

The discharges at Sellafield are subject to regular monitoring and stringent control. Authorisation issued by my Department and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 impose definite limits on the amount of radioactivity in discharges and control the most significant individual substances. It has for some time been an aim of the authorising Departments to reduce the discharges of the most significant substances. At their instigation, BNFL is constructing SIXEP, a site ion exchange effluent treatment plant. This plant, which is likely to cost over £80 million, is planned to come into operation in 1984 and will bring about a reduction of caesium discharged to the sea to one tenth of the maximum released in recent years. Meanwhile, caesium discharges have already been halved as a result of interim measures. The new authorisation issued when the plant is ready will oblige the company to limit discharges of caesium and certain other substances to levels as low as reasonably achievable within the limits set.

It has also been our aim to secure big reductions in discharges of plutonium and other alpha emitters. Over the past 10 years BNFL has achieved a reduction of 80 per cent. in these discharges. Last year authorising Departments informed BNFL and it accepted that recent levels of discharge of these substances which accumulate in sea bed sediments should be further reduced as soon as practicable. The Departments have put forward a draft authorisation which would have the effect of reducing the actual level of such discharges to about 200 curies a year. That is about one quarter of the amount released last year and one thirtieth of the total at present authorised. The aim is to have the necessary plant in operation in 1985.

My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and I will continue to ensure that all necessary action is taken to keep discharges within the recognised safety limits. In addition, we will be considering in the light of technological developments whether yet further reductions should be sought. In this we will take full account of authoritative independent advice from the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee.