HC Deb 09 March 1987 vol 112 cc3-4W
Mr. Wigley

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has recieved on the need to restock Llyn Conwy with trout free from radioactivity.

Mr. Wyn Roberts

None.

Mr. Wigley

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will arrange for a general survey to be undertaken on a regular basis of all lakes in Wales to discover the levels of radioactivity in fish; and if he will publish a list of those lakes where this has already been undertaken.

Mr. Wyn Roberts

A regular programme of monitoring for radioactivity in the aquatic environment is already undertaken around nuclear installations, the results of which are published annually in the aquatic environment monitoring report and placed in the Library of the House. Monitoring may be extended where particular circumstances so require as, for example, in the aftermath of the Chernobyl accident when the programme was extended to include other lakes and rivers in the areas of high deposition. The relevant lakes in Wales were Alwen, Cwmstraddlyn, Bodlyn, Conwy, Cwmorthin, Trawsfynydd and Vyrnwy.

Mr. Wigley

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what were the radioactivity levels detected in trout taken from (a) Llyn Conwy, (b) Llyn Cwmorthin and (c) Llyn Alwen over the past six months giving in each case the levels of caesium 134 and caesium 137 in these samples.

Mr. Wyn Roberts

The average levels of Caesium 134 and Caesium 137 recorded in brown trout in the lakes referred to over the past six months are given in the following table:

Location Level (Bq/Kg) Date collected
Cs—134 Cs—137
Llyn Conwy 238 530 26 September 1986
194 455 5 December 1986
194 490 9 December 1986
Llyn Cwmorthin 30 79 9 September 1986
68 170 28 November 1986
Llyn Alwen 41 104 4 September 1986
66 147 15 September 1986
45 79 18 September 1986
65 145 8 November 1986
97 227 11 November 1986

Assessment of the activity in these fish, coupled with likely consumption rates, indicates that they do not constitute a significant source of radiation exposure to members of the public.