§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance she has issued on the decommissioning of sites and buildings where high-dose radium treatment machines have been installed; what the planned life of such machines is expected to be; how long after the use of such machines has ceased she expects to wait before decommissioning can begin; and whether sites and buildings containing such defunct machinery will require extra security.
§ Mr. SackvilleRadium has been replaced as a radioactive source in radiotherapy machines by safer materials such as cobalt and iridium. Hospitals using such sources are registered with Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution—Department of the Environment—who provide guidance on safe handling. Replacement or removal of sources is carried out by approved contractors as part of the national disposal service. Hospitals also appoint local radiation protection advisers who implement the requirements of the Ionising Radiation Regulations 1985. Expected equipment lifetimes can be at least 15 years with a further 10 years maintenance support if required. However, existing machines are now being replaced by linear accelerators, which generate treatment beams without the need for radioactive sources and pose no radiation hazard when turned off. The existing disposal service imposes no undue delays or risk of contamination of premises.