§ Sir Walter Cleggasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish the results of further monitoring carried out by his Department following the incident at Sellafield in November 1983; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MacGregorI have today placed copies in the Library of the House of a further report on the environmental monitoring undertaken by my Department following the incident at Sellafield in November 1983. This deals with the period to 28 February.
The report confirms the earlier findings of my inspectors that there is no cause for concern, resulting from the incident, over the consumption of fish and shellfish caught in the area.
During the period emphasis has been placed on beach monitoring which remains the only area for concern. However, checks have continued to be maintained on other routes of potential exposure to man through the environment. Contaminated objects similar to those previously reported have continued to be found on beaches. Although the overall frequency of finds has shown little change, the particular feature of this period has been the discovery of tar-like material thought to be from the Sellafield plant. While the material has occurred only in isolated patches, its geographical distribution has been fairly widespread. Findings of this material are, however, now decreasing.
My scientists do not consider that this new material represents a scientifically significant radiation dose hazard. Nevertheless, while the current situation persists, it continues to be prudent to advise members of the public to avoid unnecessary use of the beach in order to keep to the absolute minimum the possibility of individuals receiving a significant dose.