§ Mr. DobsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what specialist equipment, including personal dosimeters, radial survey meters and decontamination meters are available for ambulance staff at Sellafield, Wylfa, Trawsfynydd, Oldbury, Berkeley, Hinkley Point, Winfrith, Dungeness, Bradwell, Sizewell and Hartlepool, respectively; and in each case what training staff have received;
(2) what studies have been made of the problems of evacuating all low-mobility groups in the event of a worst case atomic accident at (a) Sellafield, (b) Wylfa, (c) Trawsfynydd, (d) Oldbury, (e) Berkeley, (f) Hinkley Point, (g) Winfrith, (h) Dungeness, (i) Bradwell, (j) Sizewell and (h) Hartlepool; and giving for each study the geographical area covered;
(3) what training has been given to ambulance staff to deal with a major accident at each of the nuclear installations at Sellafield, Wylfa, Trawsfynydd, Oldbury, Berkeley, Hinkley Point, Winfrith, Dungeness, Bradwell, Sizewell and Hartlepool;
(4) whether ambulance staff have participated in the exercise of the local emergency plans at Sellafield, Wylfa, Trawsfynydd, Oldbury, Berkeley, Hinkley Point, Winfrith, Dungeness, Bradwell, Sizewell and Hartlepool; and in each case which units participated.
§ Mr. WakehamHealth authorities, which manage the ambulance service locally, are required by circulars HC(85)24 and HC(89)8 in England and WHC(85)34 in Wales, to ensure that all ambulance staff are made aware of the contingency plans at civil nuclear sites and how they fit in with health authorities' major accident plans, and that they receive appropriate precautionary training.
National Health Service ambulance services have participated in exercises at Wylfa, Trawsfynydd, Oldbury, Berkeley, Hinkley Point, Dungeness, Bradwell, Sizewell and Hartlepool, and have been alerted by the police to their possible involvement during exercises at Sellafield and Winfrith. Site emergency plans provide that National Health Service ambulance service personnel should be under the direct supervision of qualified staff in all areas where they are required to enter contaminated areas, and that the necessary dosimeters and professional health physics assistance and decontamination equipment be provided to any such visiting service by site management.
569WThe need to include the special requirements of low-mobility groups in the arrangements for evacuation of the public is recognised. Action at the scene by the various emergency services and local authorities would be co-ordinated by the police.
§ Mr. DobsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy what studies his Department has made of evacuation procedures and other aspects of the Chernobyl disaster; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WakehamFollowing the Chernobyl accident a Government working group was established to review nuclear emergency planning. This culminated in the Prime Minister's statement to Parliament on 18 December 1986 at columns 612–13. This was followed by a further statement by the Prime Minister on 12 December 1988 at column 391.
§ Mr. DobsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy when the Central Electricity Generating Board last made a safety assessment of a nuclear reactor of a type akin to that at Chernobyl.
§ Mr. WakehamNo such safety assessment has been made; the Central Electricity Generating Board has not sought a licence for a reactor with characteristics similar to that at Chernobyl.