§ Mr. ChurchillTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many documents having a bearing upon the health and safety of participants in Britain's nuclear test programme are being withheld from public scrutiny beyond the 30-year rule; on what grounds this has been done; and if he will now ensure that all such documents are placed in the public domain.
§ Mr. Archie Hamilton[holding answer 26 November 1992]: Much information relating to the health and safety 65W of participants in Britain's nuclear test programme has already been released into the public domain. Those documents which continue to be withheld from public scrutiny beyond the 30-year release period of the public records Acts are properly retained on files by the MOD, under section 3(4) of the 1958 Act, for national security and personal sensitivity reasons. The number of such documents cannot be assessed without disproportionate cost, but the files in question will continue to be kept under regular review and will be progressively released as their sensitivity lapses.