Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department was informed of the leak of Zenon 133 from the nuclear test conducted by the United Kingdom in Nevada in November 1990; what reporting arrangements exist with the United States authorities to inform Her Majesty's Government of radioactive releases from British tests; and what health dangers were posed arising from the leak.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonWe have recently ascertained that there was an extremely minor leak of radioactive gas from the joint UK-US Houston nuclear test carried out at the Nevada test site in November 1990. All information which the MOD receives on such tests is channelled through the United States department of energy in Washington DC. The release posed no danger to the health of people either on or off the site.