§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to monitor the proportion of congenital malformations in infants born to women living in those parts of Northern Ireland which were subject to rises in radiation levels following the nuclear accident at Chernobyl; and what plans he has to publish the information.
§ Mr. ViggersThere are arrangements in Northern Ireland for monitoring congenital abnormalities which should identify any significant overall increase in such abnormalities following the Chernobyl accident, though it 773W is unlikely to be possible to determine which abnormalities, if any, have an association with increases in radiation levels caused by this particular incident. Information on congenital abnormalities is published each year by the Department of Health and Social Services.