§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide estimates of the input of radioactive isotopes, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide into the atmosphere in Britain; and how this compares with other European Economic Community countries on a consistent basis.
§ Mr. WaldegraveEstimates of radioactive atmospheric discharges from major establishments using radioactive526W materials in the United Kingdom are published annually in the Department's "Digest of Environmental Protection and Water Statistics", a copy of which is in the Library of the House. Statistics on the emissions of nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons are also included in this publication. Estimates of emissions of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides for all EEC countries are not available on a consistent basis. Some comparisons were made in the OECD's second state of the environment report and showed that United Kingdom emissions of nitrogen oxides in 1980 were lower than emissions in West Germany and of the same order as those in France. Data on the discharge of radioactive effluents from 1976–80 in EEC countries were published by the European Commission in 1983 in "Radioactive Effluents from Nuclear Power Stations and Nuclear Fuel Processing Plants in the European Community".
§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide estimates of the input of radioactive isotopes, hydrocarbons and atmospheric nitrogen into the sea by Britain; and how this compares with other European Economic Community countries on a consistent basis.
§ Mr. WaldegraveComprehensive up-to-date information of the kind requested is not available at present. However, this information is currently being assembled by the Department in its role as secretariat for next year's North sea conference.