§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what contribution his Department has made to international discussions of the need to review the level of permissible discharges into the environment from nuclear power stations.
§ Mr. FoxAuthorisations under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 for the discharge of radioactive waste are based on the International Commission on Radiation Protection's recommended system of dose limitation. The conditions and limitations contained in the authorisations are designed to ensure that man is not exposed to harmful levels of radioactivity. The United Kingdom plays a full part in all international discussions under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the OECD's Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) relating to radioactive waste.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what studies are being undertaken by his Department of emissions of radiation which escape from plant containment into the atmosphere.
§ Mr. FoxThe Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has a comprehensive programme of research on the behaviour of various radionuclides in the marine and terrestrial environments. This Department's complementary research programme includes support for studies aimed at improving our understanding of biological, 293W chemical and physical transfer processes to man.
Regular studies of the distribution of radionuclides resulting from routine emissions are undertaken by the regulatory authorities, including this Department, and by the operators. In the rare event of an unplanned release of radioactivity, the effect on the environment would be closely monitored and studied by the operator and the appropriate regulatory authorities.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will review the permitted levels of radiation being discharged from nuclear power stations into the environment.
§ Mr. FoxAll discharges of radioactive waste from nuclear power stations in the United Kingdom must be authorised under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960. Discharges are kept under continuous review to ensure that they remain well within authorised limits.
Authorisations for discharges to the atmosphere are currently being revised to specify individual limits for significant radionuclides.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is satisfied that emissions of low-level radiation from nuclear power stations are adequately monitored by his Department.
§ Mr. FoxYes, Authorisations for the disposal of radioactive waste from nuclear power stations granted under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 include conditions which enable the appropriate Minister to require the operator of the nuclear installation to carry out monitoring and to take samples. The results are reported to this Department and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, which also carries out independent check monitoring. The Department publishes an "Annual Survey of Radioactive Discharges in Great Britain" and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food publishes annual reports on the levels of radioactivity in the surface and coastal waters of the British Isles.