HC Deb 28 January 1981 vol 997 c421W
Mr. Campbell-Savours

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many accidents in the handling and transportation of nuclear weapons have occurred since 1945 on territories covered by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Alliance.

Mr. Pattie

No accidents have occurred involving either damage to nuclear weapons containing fissile material on United Kingdom territory or damage to United Kingdom weapons of this type on the territory of any of our NATO Allies. Any other such accidents are matters for the Governments concerned.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many accidents in the handling and transportation of nuclear weapons have occurred on United Kingdom territory; whether there was any release of radioactivity as a result of such accidents; and what steps were taken to decontaminate the areas involved.

Mr. Pattie

For the first part of the hon. Member's question I refer him to the reply I have already given today to his question on the subject of nuclear weapon accidents on NATO territory. The answers to the second and third parts are "No" and "None" respectively.