Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how often during each year from 1980 to 1988 Royal 863W Navy submarines have docked at the port of Liverpool; and what emergency procedures exist to protect the metropolitan population of Liverpool against radioactive contamination from an accident involving the radioactive core of the submarine;
(2) how often during each year from 1980 to 1988 a nuclear-powered Royal Navy submarine docked in Cardiff; and what emergency provisions are in force there to cope with an accident involving the nuclear reactor core in a submarine.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe annual number of visits by Royal Navy nuclear-powered submarines to Liverpool and Cardiff since 1980 are as follows:
Liverpool Cardiff 1980 2 1 1981 3 1 1982 1 0 1983 2 2 1984 3 0 1985 3 1 1986 4 2 1987 2 0 1988 4 3 Local authorities are informed three weeks in advance of all such visits, and for the duration of each visit a naval emergency monitoring team, a MOD health physicist and a naval incident commander are located at the port concerned as a precautionary measure.
I also refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Mossley Hill (Mr. Alton) on Tuesday 7 February at column 667, and to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Ayr (Mr. Younger) to the hon. Member for Mossley Hill on Tuesday 7 February at column 793.
Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there has been any incidence of serious breakdown resulting in radioactive release and exposure to the operating work force in the operation of United Kingdom nuclear-powered submarines since the first such craft was launched.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThere have been no such incidents.