§ Mr. Moynihanasked the Secretary of State for Energy how the level and type of radioactivity emissions from coal-fired power stations compare with those from nuclear power stations; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GoodladThe major discharge mechanism in both cases is aerial. For coal-fired power stations the collective committed dose equivalent is about five mansieverts per gigawatt-year of electricity generated and for nuclear stations it is under two mansieverts per gigawatt-year. The overall dose from either source is very small by comparison with the dose to the population from natural background radiation.