§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what investigations have been carried out to determine the effect of the Chernobyl accident on those rivers in Northern Ireland which drain the areas affected by the accident; if any rise in radioactivity has been observed in the waters of those rivers and streams during(a) drought conditions and (b) flood conditions; whether any rise in radioactivity has been observed in the flesh of (i) trout, (ii) coarse fish, (iii) salmon or sea trout and (iv) smelts of salmon or sea trout; and if there has been any attempt to discover whether the spawn of such fish has been affected.
§ Mr. Hanley[holding answer 4 December 1990]: Radioactivity levels in Northern Ireland waters and in fish following the Chernobyl incident were low and have since declined to very low levels. These levels would have no impact on fish populations. The specific investigations referred to have not therefore been considered necessary.
§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what investigations have been carried out into the effect on(a) hares and rabbits, (b) red grouse, snipe pheasant and woodcock, (c)rooks and jackdaws, (d)grey crows, ravens, magpies and buzzards and (e) falcons and hawks, of the nuclear accident at Chernobyl in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; and if he will indicate the amount of radioactivity present in the flesh of the various species as a result of that accident in those areas of Northern Ireland affected by that accident.
§ Mr. Hanley[holding answer 4 December 1990]: Monitoring of the levels of radioactivity in wild species