§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will outline the actions taken by his Department, by the emergency services and by the local authorities following the discovery of a drum of radioactive material outside Unit 8, Curran embankment, on 19 October.
§ Mr. GristThe national arrangements involving radioactivity (NAIR) were activated by the police who co-ordinated the activities of the organisations concerned. The Welsh Office advised the police of suitable temporary storage locations and made arrangements for the National Radiological Protection Board to collect and dispose of the source.
§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what actions he has taken, following the discovery of a drum of radioactive material dating from 1979 outside Unit 8, Curran embankment, to identify whether there are any other such deposits and to protect the public from any possible effects.
§ Mr. GristAn Inspector from Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution, acting on behalf of the Department, visited the site with the radiation protection adviser who had carried out monitoring and provided advice to the police as part of the NAIR arrangements. Further monitoring was undertaken which revealed no evidence of any remaining radioactive sources.
§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the seriousness and potential seriousness of the discovery of a drum of radioactive material outside Unit 8, Curran embankment, on 19 October; what level of radioactivity it contained; and how this relates to safety levels.
§ Mr. GristIt appears that the source in its container may have been abandoned when the premises were vacated by a company which ceased trading in 1984. The container in question is of the type used for radiography sources. It is believed to hold a radioactive iridium-192 source, of activity 8 curies in 1980. Since this radionuclide has a half life of 74 days, only a negligible fraction of the original activity will have remained when the company ceased trading. No significant radiation exposure would have resulted from the discovery of the source after that period had elapsed, and I am advised by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution that on-site monitoring supports 521W this conclusion. Nevertheless, I view any such abandonment of a radioactive source as being a potentially serious radiation incident which could cause public concern, and a highly irresponsible act.
§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he is satisfied with the operation of the emergency plan implemented following the discovery of a drum of radioactive material outside Unit 8, Curran embankment, on 19 October.
Farm Workers, by County: June 1988 Regular family workers Regular hired workers Total regular workers Seasonal casual workers Total workers Clwyd 718 985 1,703 1,143 2,846 Dyfed 1,772 1,527 3,299 3,318 6,617 Gwent 414 459 873 660 1,533 Gwynedd 702 700 1,402 1,006 2,408 Mid Glamorgan 160 153 313 351 664 Powys 999 936 1,935 1,472 3,407 South Glamorgan 282 361 643 543 560 West Glamorgan 626 Wales 5,047 5,121 10,168 8,493 18,661 Notes:
1. Figures relate to main holdings only.
2. Regular workers include those working full-time and part-time.