HC Deb 15 March 1960 vol 619 cc82-3W
68. Mr. Watkins

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many requests he has received for the establishment of a centre in Wales for the measurement of the quantity and content of the radioactive dust deposited on the land in Wales, and for the determination of such content in soil, pasture, grass, water, milk, and foodstuffs; what was the nature of his replies; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. H. Brooke

Fifty-five local authorities have written in support of a resolution passed by Lleyn Rural District Council urging that a separate laboratory in Wales should be established. A reply has been sent to each of them explaining that under the Government monitoring programme special attention is directed to Wales as an area of high rainfall; that technical reports covering all the data collected in Wales are regularly published; and that as the work demands extremely intricate laboratory processes and skilled assessment it is better to centralise the facilities for it than to duplicate them. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of this letter.