§ Mr. Formanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how far the retrospective studies of past radiation 584W workers and pensioners have been carried out as part of the investigations involved in compiling the National Radiological Protection Board National Registry for Radiation Workers;
(2) by what means the progress of the National Radiological Protection Board National Registry for Radiation Workers is expertly assessed;
(3) what is the current state of the National Radiological Protection Board National Registry for Radiation Workers; and if it now includes all those who are working or who have worked with incorporated radioisotopes.
§ Mr. Moyle,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 8th November 1978; Vol. 957, c. 206], gave the following information:
The National Radiological Protection Board recently received the results of a pilot study by British Nuclear Fuels Ltd., the object of which was to assess the feasibility of identifying all past radiation workers for the purpose of a mortality study. Arrangements have already been made by the board in the expectation that data on workers who left the nuclear industry before 1st January 1976 will be included in the registry.
The Board established a committee in 1975 comprising experts in the field of medicine, radiobiology, statistics, radiation protection and industrial health to advise on the establishment and conduct of the registry and, at the appropriate time, on the method of analysing the data
12,000 employees, mainly of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, 585W British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. and the Central Electricity Generating Board are currently registered, some of whom are exposed to the possibility of incorporating radionuclides internally. During the next six months, it is expected that the size of the registry will be doubled by the addition of further employees of the Central Electricity Generating Board and people employed elsewhere. It will then include the majority of current workers who could accumulate internal exposures. I understand that an extension of the registry to include past radiation workers could add another 60,000 names.