§ Mr. Ashdownasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list and describe the steps taken by his Department pursuant to recommendation 10 of the report of the advisory group chaired by Sir Douglas Black on the incidence of cancers in the vicinity of nuclear installations in the north-west of England.
§ Mr. WaldegraveIn this field my Department acts jointly with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Discussions have continued about new authorisations for discharges from BNFL Sellafield, and there will be formal consultation with the National Radiological Protection Board and the Department of Health and Social Security about the drafts of these authorisations. The new authorisation for liquid discharges is planned to come into 21W operation before the end of the year. As announced by my right hon. Friend on 18 December, the authorisations will subsequently be reviewed every three years.
The membership of the independent Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee has been extended to include medical experts. DHSS is now represented on relevant official committees. My Department, the MAFF and the DHSS are currently considering the most appropriate form of further action to implement paragraph d. of recommendation 10.