§ Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Minister of Technology if he will make a statement on the cause of the escape of chemical which caused the closing for a time of Dounreay Experimental Station at the end of July, indicating the extent and nature of the escape and its effect on the work of the station.
§ Dr. BrayThe Dounreáy Materials Testing Reactor was shut down for a short period at the end of July because of the failure of a capsule containing422W specimens of materials under irradiation. This resulted in a small local release of short-lived airborne radioactivity confined entirely to the reactor containment building. There was no significant interruption to the work of the reactor and none at all to the rest of the establishment.
Non-essential personnel were evacuated from the building. Essential staff remained wearing breathing apparatus, but there was no necessity for other protective clothing. There was no hazard to the establishment or the immediate district.