§ Mr. Wallaceasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) for each islands and district authority in Scotland, what is the number of environmental health officers who have received special training in monitoring radioactivity in milk and rainwater,
502W(2) if he will list the local authorities in Scotland which held proper equipment for monitoring radioactivity in milk on 25 April.
§ Mr. John MacKayInformation about the special training of environmental health officers in this field is not held centrally. To my knowledge, no equipment for monitoring radioactivity in milk or rainwater is held by local authorities. The function of environmental health officers is to obtain samples where there is cause for concern about risks to public health, and to refer the samples to the appropriate laboratory for analysis. Monitoring is undertaken in Scotland principally by the National Radiological Protection Board's office in Glasgow, and this includes the analysis of samples. A number of nuclear establishments in Scotland, including those at Chapel cross, Hunterston and Dounreay, undertake regular local monitoring of radioactivity in milk and rainwater, and have undertaken additional analyses in the last two weeks, some on behalf of departments of environmental health.