§ Sir Ian LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what information he has on the levels of alpha activity in becquerels per kilogram of fly ash from Blyth coal-fired power station; and whether this exceeds the lower limit for low-level waste from a nuclear installation;
765W(2) what information he has on the levels of alpha activity, in becquerels per kilogram in fly ash from all major coal-fired generating plants in the United Kingdom with a capacity exceeding 500 MW.
§ Mr. TrippierThe levels of alpha activity in fly ash from the major coal-fired generating plants in the United Kingdom would be typically in the range 1,000 to 2,000 bec/kg. The ash from Blyth power station is likely to contain similar concentrations of alpha activity. These levels are lower than the thresholds set out in schedule 3 to the Radioactive Substances Act 1960, below which certain naturally occurring substances are not considered to be radioactive material for the purposes of control under this Act.