§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on discharges into the sea and into the air as a result of nuclear power generation.
§ Mr. TrippierRadioactive waste may be discharged from nuclear power stations only if an authorisation has been issued under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 jointly by Her Majesty's inspectors of pollution and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Authorisations impose strict conditions and activity limits and are issued only after careful assessment is made of the environmental impact of proposed disposals to ensure that doses to the public are below the maximum permissible limits as recommended by the International Committee on Radiological Protection. Operators are required to use best practicable means to limit discharges of radioactivity. They are also required to monitor discharges, details of which are published annually both by the generating industry and this Department. The premises concerned are subject to scrutiny by inspectors to ensure compliance with the terms of the authorisation.