§ Mr. Home Robertsonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a report on his Department's reaction to the Chernobyl emergency with particular reference to its state of readiness to monitor radioactive fallout from any source, the suitability of the relevant resources and contingency plans and the need for national and international agencies to adopt common and comprehensible measurements of contamination and standards of safety for exposure to or ingestion of contaminated materials.
§ Mrs FennerNo. I am satisfied that my Department's contingency plans enabled us to detect immediately the presence of radioactivity arising from the accident at Chernobyl, and to make a prompt and realistic assessment of its implications for food and agriculture. The safety levels applied in the United Kingdom were agreed by the Government on the advice of the National Radiological Protection Board and are derived from recommendations published by the International Commission on 681W Radiological Protection. Discussions were held on 22–23 May by a group of Community scientists under article 31 of the Euratom treaty to discuss the trigger level for Community control measures, and my officials will be considering how best to participate in any work following up the European Council's consideration of the need for tolerance levels to be set on a scientific basis within the appropriate international fora.
§ Mr. Johnasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in how many instances readings of 1,000 becquerels per kilogram or higher have been found in vegetables following the Chernobyl disaster; and what action his Department took in consequence.
§ Mr. Jopling[pursuant to his reply, 1 July 1986, c. 514]: One result from Cumbria relating to a mixed sample of cabbages and leeks taken on 8 May 1986 showed the combined radiocaesium level of 1165 Bq/kg. This was a transient contamination and well below the level at which action would need to be considered. Subsequent results for the monitoring of vegetables in the area showed lower levels of caesium.
§ Dr. David Clarkasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library the results of radioactivity monitoring on cows milk, sheep milk, sheep and vegetables for May 1985 for Cleveland, Cumbria, Durham and Northumberland.
§ Mr. Jopling[pursuant to his reply, 2 July 1986, c. 572]: My Department's terrestrial monitoring programme commenced in January 1986. No data are therefore available for the period requested for milk, meat and vegetables. This complements the environmental monitoring programme conducted by nuclear site operators as a condition of their licence under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960. The results of this monitoring are published annually by the site operators.
§ Dr. David Clarkasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he increased the monitoring of vegetables in Cumbria following the discovery of readings of 1100 bq/kg of caesium 137 and 895 bq/kg of iodine 131 on cabbages and leeks in Cumbria on 9 May.
§ Mr. Jopling[pursuant to his reply, 2 July 1986, c. 572]: The readings of 1100 bq/kg of caesium 137 and 895 bq/kg of iodine 131 found in cabbages and leeks in Cumbria on 8 May represented a transient contamination well below the level at which action would need to be considered. Subsequent results for the monitoring of vegetables in the area showed lower levels of caesium.
§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his advice regarding the safety of eating whimberries, wild bilberries, wild raspberries and black berries growing in north Wales or the lake district, as well as garden fruits, in the light of radioactive fallout in May in those areas.
§ Mr. Jopling[pursuant to his reply, 2 July 1986, c. 572]: Levels of radioactivity in all crops tested are now extremely low in all parts of the country. However, we are continuing to test commercial fruits and wild berries as they come into season to ensure they are safe for human consumption.