§ Mr. Frank R. Whiteasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he is taking with regard to the membership, sources of finance and functions of the national radiological protection board following the White Paper"Nuclear Power and the Environment"and the Windscale inquiry.
§ Mr. EnnalsThe review of the board's composition and finance foreshadowed in the White Paper has recently been completed. I intend shortly to make an order under the Radiological Protection Act 1970 increasing the authorised maximum size of the board from nine to 14 members. This will enable the medical and scientific membership to be further strengthened, and permit the extension of environmental interests. The Government consider this a more effective way of including environmental interests in the system for advising them on radiological protection standards than that recommended by the Hon. Mr. Justice Parker in his report on the Windscale inquiry
From April 1979 residual deficit funding for the board will be provided only by the Department of Health and Social Security and the Scottish Home and Health Department. My Department assumed responsibility from 1 April 1978 for the contribution previously made by the Medical Research Council and will assume responsibility from 1 April 1979 for the contribution currently made by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.
Directions under the Radiological Protection Act 1970 have been issued making the board responsible for advising the Government on the acceptability and application of standards recommended by the International Commission on radiological protection and Euratom, and for specifying emergency reference levels. The board has decided that before issuing advice it will publish its major proposals for standards and emergency reference levels at an early draft stage and invite comments from interested bodies.