§ 58. Mr. Hugh Jenkinsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what developments there have been in the levels of radioactive 12W fall-out in this country in 1970; what increase there has been in radioactive material in rainwater; what health hazard is involved; and what representations he is making to France and China regarding the abandonment of nuclear bomb tests.
§ Mr. Anthony RoyleFollowing is the information
In 1969 and the first half of 1970 fission products from atmospheric nuclear tests were detected in air and rainwater but the deposition in the United Kingdom was insufficient to cause detectable levels of iodine-131 in milk. Because of variations in rainfall the relationship between the deposit of strontium-90 and caesium-137 in 1969 and the first half of 1970 was variable, but overall there was little change in the total deposit, the recent addition approximately balancing the loss by radioactive decay of debris from past weapon tests. The impact of the recent nuclear tests is small by comparison with the effects of those which occurred in 1962–3, the health hazards from which were assessed in detail by the Medical Research Council in 1966. No representations to other countries are proposed.