§ Ms. GordonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the purpose of an X-berth; if X-berths have permanent safety precautions against radiological hazards; and if he will publish in theOfficial Report the locations of all the X-berths in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonAn X-berth is a berth designated for frequent and regular use by nuclear-powered warships, or a berth in a dockyard or naval base which is suitable for the building, refit, repair or maintenance of nuclear-powered warships. All X-berths have as an integral part of their safety arrangements a permanent health physics department, a local emergency monitoring organisation and a local safety plan prepared under the auspices of a local liaison committee. The United Kingdom X-berths are at Barrow-in-Furness, Devonport, Faslane and Rosyth.