§ Mr. Formanasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in what organisms in the Irish Sea traces of plutonium have been detected by scientists working for the National Radio-biological Laboratory.
§ Mr. Bishop,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 26th July 1976; Vol. 916, c.23],gave the following information:
Routine surveys of the Irish Sea are carried out by my Department's Fisheries Radiobiological Laboratory in connection with the control of the effluent discharges 383W from the Windscale factory. These have shown that although traces of plutonium are detectable in most marine organisms from the area, the concentrations in all the species examined are very low and the radiation dose to any member of the public eating fish, shellfish or edible seaweed from this area is well within the safe limits recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. Material taken from this area for human consumption, therefore, does not constitute a danger to health.