§ Lord O'Haganasked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they have taken to measure the radioactive content of food and vegetables grown in 382WA and imported into the United Kingdom; whether they are satisfied with the procedures; and what steps they now propose for improved co-operation on these matters within the European Community.
§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Lord Belstead)The agriculture departments have been monitoring milk supplies for radioactive contamination since we first heard of the incident at Chernobyl. When increased levels of the most significant radionuclides Iodine 131 and Caesium 137 were detected on 2nd May monitoring of milk was intensified and extended to crops. Although levels of Iodine 131 have now fallen and there are indications that levels of Caesium are also beginning to decline, monitoring will continue for as long as necessary.
On 1st May the Department of Health and Social Security asked port health authorities to hold imports of certain foods from Poland and Russia for testing and extended this advice on 10th May to cover the range of foodstuffs from Eastern bloc countries likely to be subject to a Community ban. We are satisfied that these measures have been sufficient to ensure that there is no risk to the public from foods on sale in the United Kingdom.
The European Community reached agreement on 12th May on the imposition of a ban from 13th May to 31st May on certain food imports, including fresh milk and milk products, and fresh fruit and vegetables from Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Rumania, the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. This will be subject to review on 20th May. Pending agreement by member states on tolerance levels for radionuclides in milk and vegetables subject to intra-Community trade, member states have undertaken to;
- (i) set contamination standards for imports no higher than those applied to domestic production;
- (ii) limit contamination levels in produce for export to those acceptable to the importing country; and
- (iii) recognise the checks which exporting countries carry out for this purpose and undertake not to impose any special requirements on imports.