§ Mr. Denzil Daviesasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what amounts of radioactive materials were used in the experiments conducted by Her Majesty's Government at Maralinga in South Australia in 1961, 1963, 1964 and 1967; and over what area they were spread;
(2) what was the nature and purpose of the experiments conducted at Maralinga in South Australia by Her Majesty's Government in 1961, 1963, 1964 and 1967; what isotopes were used in these experiments; and how the area was monitored for radioactivity after the experiments.
§ Mr. PattieThe experiments in 1961 and 1963 were conducted either to assess the behaviour of radioactivity materials subjected to impulse or to determine the possible behaviour of nuclear weapons involved in accidents—for example, fires. There were no nuclear yield explosions. Kilogram quantities of plutonium and uranium were used; certain isotopes, including those of polonium, yttrium, actinium, scandium, lead and thorium were present in very much smaller amounts, none more than a few grams.
During the period of the experiments there was a programme to determine both airborne and surface radioactivity. The levels and areas of contamination are listed in the Pearce report, a copy of which in held in the Library of the House.
There were no experiments in 1964 and 1967.