Mr. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether any activity, discharge or emission, including storage of radioactive materials, from the Aldermaston
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§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe information available is as follows:
and Burghfield atomic weapons plants subjects any member of the general public in any one year to a radiation dose of more than 0.1mSv.
§ Mr. SainsburyNo. The recent report (NRPB—202) by the National Radiological Protection Board assesses the doses likely to have been experienced by members of the public arising from the airborne and liquid discharge from AWRE, Aldermaston and ROF (Burghfield) over the years since these establishments began their operations: the maximum doses assessed by NRPB are very low, considerably less than 0.1mSv per annum. These estimates are consistent with the extensive programmes of environmental monitoring conducted in the area by MOD and also independently by the environmental authorising departments. Radiation emitted from radioactive materials handled and stored at these sites does not add to the very low doses. Thorough internal scrutiny and independent investigations such as the Pochin inquiry, have failed to identify any other potential pathways for radiation exposure where doses to members of the public would exceed those given by NRPB in its recent report.