§ Mr. Cohenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether a list of hospitals capable of receiving persons affected by radiation is available; and whether it is the practice for them to be notified if they are nearest to the route of a train carrying nuclear waste.
§ Mr. John PattenA circular was issued on 5 December 1972 by the Home Office to chief officers of police, clerks to local authorities and chief fire officers giving details of the national arrangements for dealing with incidents involving radioactivity. This includes an appendix listing hospitals which are prepared to accept cases of radioactive contamination or exposure to radioactivity. It was revised in 1977 and is currently undergoing further revision.
There are detailed contingency plans for responding to incidents involving nuclear material whilst in transit which are designed to provide expert radiological advice to assist the emergency service. All nuclear materials are required by international regulations to be transported in containers designed to ensure safety even under severe accident conditions. Prior notification to hospitals of their movement is therefore not necessary.