Cancer (West Cumbria) (Hansard, 18 February 1986)

§ Mr. Hayhoe

New information became available when British Nuclear Fuels plc undertook last year a review of records of discharges which had taken place in the 1950s. This information was not available when the National Radiological Protection Board calculated doses of radiation received by the local population for the Independent Advisory Group (chairman: Sir Douglas Black) set up to investigate a possible increased incidence of cancer in west Cumbria. The NRPB has since revised its dose estimates in the light of this new information and its provisional findings have been passed to the Committee on the Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment.

COMARE was established as a result of a recommendation in Sir Douglas Black's report. One of the committee's first tasks was to follow up that report and to consider the health implications of any research results or other information which became available. The committee met for the first time on 25 November 1985. It was told about the existence of this new information and was asked to undertake an assessment of its health significance. It started on this work at its meeting on 31 January 1986. It will complete its work as soon as possible, it is hoped within the next six months. Its report will be published.

It is the role of COMARE to advise the Government on the health implications of this new information. It would not be appropriate for the Government to prejudge its findings. However, NRPB's provisional conclusions are that the new information does not suggest that there has been any increased health risk to people who lived or who are living in the area which would invalidate the conclusions reached by Sir Douglas Black's group.