§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether ambulance staff have participated in the exercise of the local emergency plan at each of Dounreay, Torness and Hunterston; and in each case where units were involved, if he will list which ones participated.
§ Mr. John MacKay[pursuant to his reply, 19 January 1987, at column 396–97]: Local ambulance units have participated in exercises to test the emergency plans at Torness and Hunterston. The ambulance service has not yet participated in any such exercises at Dounreay, though the service is fully aware of its role under the emergency plan.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for Dounreay, Hunterston and Torness what studies have been done on the problems of evacuating all low mobility groups in the event of a worst case atomic accident; and if he will also list for each study the geographical area covered.
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§ Mr. Lang[pursuant to the reply, 19 January 1987, c. 397]: Within the framework of the emergency plans which must be prepared by the operators of civil nuclear installations in Scotland and of their own related contingency plans, the police are responsible for the evacuation of the areas around these installations. I understand from the chief constables of the forces concerned that their contingency plans for evacuation of the population in the event of a large scale emergency take account of the problems of evacuating low mobility groups.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list what specific equipment, including personal dosimeters, radiac survey meters and decontamination meters are available for ambulance staff at: Dounreay, Torness and Hunterston. respectively; and in each case what training staff have received.
§ Mr. Lang[pursuant to the reply, 19 January 1987, c. 397]: All civil nuclear sites operated in Scotland by the South of Scotland Electricity Board, the Atomic Energy Authority, and British Nuclear Fuels have their own medical services.
External ambulance services entering a site would be under the supervision of the trained site staff. Dosimeters and professional health physics assistance and decontamination equipment would be provided to any such visiting service by site management.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what training has been given to ambulance staff to deal with a major accident at Dounreay, Hunterston and Torness respectively.
§ Mr. John MacKay[pursuant to his reply, 19 January 1987, c. 396–97]: Ambulance service staff generally are trained in major accident procedures. Staff who may be involved at Dounreay and Hunterston are aware of the precautions to be taken in accidents involving radioactivity. Staff who may be involved at Torness are receiving appropriate training, in advance of the commissioning of the power station.