§ Mr. Willie W. Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he intends to take to increase the supply of information to the public concerning radiation levels and future trends in those levels.
§ Mr. AncramAs my right hon. and learned Friend said in reply to the hon. Member for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley (Mr. Foulkes) on 8 May, at columns217–19, the Scottish Office took early and positive steps to provide information to the public on radioactivity levels in Scotland since the Chernobyl incident. The coverage of the monitoring includes a range of radionuclides, and areas of sampling include radioactivity on grass and in free-range eggs. Information is being made available to the public daily. Monitoring and the publication of results will continue for as long as necessary.
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§ Mr. Willie W. Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the names of the experts dealing with radiation problems in his Department, indicating their expertise in each case.
§ Mr. AncramThe following professional officers in the Scottish Office deal with matters relating to radiation. Their expertise is derived from professional training, from working in the Department and from other relevant experience, which includes work in industry or in other Government Departments.
H. M. Industrial Pollution Inspectorate
- I. W. W. Wright, BSc, DRCST, CEng, MIChemE, CChem, MRSC, Chief Inspector
- J. A. Hetherington, BSc, Mlnst P, Deputy Chief Inspector
- D. A. Dickson, BSc, CEng, MIChemE, Senior Inspector
- Dr. D. N. S. Dixon, BSc, PhD, Senior Inspector
- M. Curtis, BSc, DMS, CEng, MIChemE, Inspector
- Dr. F. Forbes, BSc, PhD, Inspector
- Dr. I. R. Hall, BSc, PhD, AFFIWPC, Inspector
- G. H. Hunter, BSc, PhD, CChem, MRSC, Inspector
- I. M. Liddle, BSc, LRSC, Inspector
- Dr. G. W. Lodge, BSc, ARCS, DIC, PhD, MIIM. MBIM, Inspector
- Dr. D. G. Thackrah, MA, PhD, Inspector
- J. Wilson, BSc, CChem, MRSC, Inspector
Medical Services
- Dr. A. D. McIntyre, MB, ChB, DPH, FFCM, DIM & H, DIH, MRCP (Ed), Principal Medical Officer
- Dr. D. C. Morrison, BA, MA, PhD, Principal Scientific Officer
- Dr. G. Gilray, MB, ChB, DPH, FFCM, Senior Medical Officer
- Dr. S. I. Forbes, FRALMA, FACOM, MFCM, LRCS & P, DPH, DIH, DTM & H, DMSA
§ Mr. Willie W. Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the highest level of radioactivity expressed in becquerels per litre, found in rainwater in Scotland since the Chernobyl incident; and how this compares with the internationally agreed safety limit.
§ Mr. AncramThe highest levels of radioactivity in a sample of collected rainwater in Scotland since the Chernobyl incident were detected on 4 May. They are set out in the table.
Radionuclide Activity becquerels per litre Barium 140 1,050 Caesium 134 1,650 Caesium 137 2,650 Iodine 131 9,400 Iodine 132 7,600 Technetium 99 400 Tellurium 132 10,000 The most significant of these readings in radiological terms is that for Iodine-131. An individual drinking only undiluted rainwater at the level of 9,400 becquerels per litre would have reached the internationally recommended lower emergency level, at which authorities should consider the need for action, of 50 millisieverts per year for the thyroid gland in just over 48 hours. The upper emergency level, at which it is recommended internationally that authorities should be banning the drinking of such water, is ten times as high, at 500 millisieverts. The Government issued advice to the public on 5 May that it would be desirable for the next week to avoid drinking fresh rainwater continuously. This advice was withdrawn on 10 May, because activity in rainwater fell very quickly and was by that date at very low levels.