HC Deb 17 June 1988 vol 135 cc330-1W
Dr. Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if his Department conducts any environmental monitoring(a) alone and (b) in conjunction with the Ministry of Defence at the ports of Rosyth, Holy Loch and Coulport, to assess the radiological impact of nuclear-powered and nuclear-capable Royal Navy and United States navy ships that use the dockyards.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

Marine monitoring for radioactivity in these areas is undertaken both by MOD and by MAFF whose programme provides an independent check on behalf of the Secretary of State for Scotland. MOD publish results of its own surveys while the MAFF work is included in aquatic environment monitoring reports entitled, "Radioactivity in Surface and Coastal Waters of the British Isles," which are in the Library. The MAFF reports, which include assessments of the monitoring results, confirm that the levels of radioactivity around the naval establishments in Scotland remain very low and of no significance in radiological terms.