§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to undertake spot-checks for radioactivity on sheep flocks in the counties of Durham, Humberside, Northumberland, north Yorkshire, south Yorkshire and west Yorkshire.
§ Mr. Donald Thompson[holding answer 27 November 1987]As a purely precautionary measure, the Ministry has carried out some monitoring for radioactivity on a small number of sheep flocks in upland-areas which experienced localised rainfall during the weekend of 3–4 May 1986. This monitoring has covered the counties of north Yorkshire, west Yorkshire, Durham and Northumberland and also Devon and Somerset and that part of Cumbria which lies in the extreme south-east of the county, outside the restricted area. As a result, I am able to reassure the public in those areas that the conclusion of earlier monitoring in 1986 and 1987 that there was no risk to food supplies remains valid. The results of this monitoring will be published in due course. I have no plans at present for any further special monitoring; routine monitoring of both sheep and vegetation continues and is especially concentrated in areas known to have received deposition of radioactivity from the Chernobyl plume.