§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will publish or make available a list of the names, service, service numbers and ranks of those service personel involved in the series of nuclear tests carried out between 3 October 1952 and 23 September 1958 who constitute part of the present study by the National Radiological Protection Board.
§ Mr. Butler[pursuant to his reply, 21 December 1984, c. 377]: As a matter of policy, we do not publicly disclose information of this sort about present or former members of the armed forces.
§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish or make available a list of the names, service, service number and ranks of those service personnel who were involved in incurring additional risks in the series of nuclear tests carried out between 3 October 1952 and 23 September 1958; and if he will give details of the planned special exposure level of radiation incurred by these individuals.
§ Mr. Butler[pursuant to his reply, 21 December 1984, c. 377]: It would be a breach of personal privacy to publish such a list. The small number of individuals involved—fewer than 30—were exposed to a whole body radiation dose greater than 70 mSv but less than 200 mSv, a range which conformed with the International Commission for Radiological Protection's recommendations and which is comparable with present-day internationally recommended limits for emergency exposures (referred to at the time of the tests as planned special exposures).
§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for Defence if the records of the dosages of radiation incurred by the service personnel involved in the nuclear tests carried out between 3 October 1952 and 23 September 1958, inclusive, will be made available to the National Radiological Protection Board; and if the original dosimeters and personnel film badges will also be made available to the National Radiological Protection Board.
§ Mr. Butler[pursuant to his reply, 21 December 1984, c. 377]: Yes. The records of exposure to radiation incurred by service personnel have been made available to the National Radiological Protection Board. The original dosimeters and personal film badges are no longer available.
§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give details of the appropriate protection provided to the service personnel involved in the series of nuclear tests carried out between 3 October 1952 and 23 September 1958.
§ Mr. Butler[pursuant to his reply, 21 December 1984, c. 377]: The protection against the effects of nuclear 549W explosions which was provided to service personnel involved in the series of nuclear tests carried out between 3 October 1952 and 23 September 1958 varied according to the nature of their duties and of the radiation environment. Its purpose was to ensure that personnel should not be harmed by the effects of the explosion or exposed to levels of ionising radiation in excess of the prescribed limits.
At the moment of detonation, personnel were positioned at sufficient distance for the initial ionising radiation to be absorbed by the atmosphere and not reach them at a sufficient intensity to be harmful. No additional protection from the initial ionising radiation was necessary. However, personnel were required to turn their backs to the explosion in order to protect their eyes from the flash immediately following detonation. There was no need for special protection against the other effects of blast and heat at the distances at which personnel were stationed.
After detonation, where there was an operational need for personnel to enter or work in areas where there was a risk of contamination from radioactive debris, full protective clothing and respirators were used until the most hazardous areas were delineated and a lesser degree of protection would suffice. On each occasion the precise form of protection needed in each area depended on day to day assessment by the Health Physics Control. The form of protection varied with the tasks being performed.
The great majority of those involved in the test programme did not need to enter any areas of contamination and therefore did not require any special protection.