§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there have been any recent British nuclear weapons tests or United States tests carried out on behalf of the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe last United Kingdom nuclear test was, as my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Defence Procurement informed the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Dr. Thomas) on 14 December 1989,Official Report, column 820, conducted at the Nevada test site on 8 December 1989.
§ Mr. Andrew MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has any further information regarding recent joint United Kingdom/United States nuclear warhead tests in the United States.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonYes. Pursuant to the answer of my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Defence Procurement to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Dr. Thomas) of 14 December 1989,Official Report, column 820, I can now say that on 16 December, some eight days after the test, a minor seepage of radioactive gas began in the vicinity of the test site. The seepage, which lasted for about three weeks, involved barely detectable levels of radioactivity and posed no health or environmental hazard on or off the site. Very low-level radioactive seepage following such tests is not unusual.