Chernobyl (Hansard, 25 April 1991)

§ Dr. David Clark
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about his reasons for refusing to grant permission for the publication in theNew Scientist of a scientific paper by scientists from his Ministry about the behaviour of radioactive caesium in the soil following the contamination of British soil arising from the Chernobyl accident.

§ Mr. Gummer
My Department took the initiative for and prepared this article. A text for publication was submitted to theNew Scientist on 4 April, and I hope that it will publish it in a future edition. The hon. Member's information is therefore not correct.

§ Dr. David Clark
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the area in acres and hectares, the number of sheep, and the number of farms currently under restriction, including the county or counties involved, as a result of the radioactive contamination following the Chernobyl accident.

§ Mr. Gummer
Following the release of some areas from restriction this January, the information for England is as followscounty: Cumbria area: approximately 104,000 acres (42,000 hectares) holdings: 144 sheep: 130,000 (estimated post-lambing figure).

§ Mr. Flynn
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all actions taken by his Department since the Chernobyl accident to mitigate the effects upon United Kingdom farmers of the radioactive fallout from the Soviet accident.

§ Mr. Maclean
Full details of the Department's actions were submitted to the Agriculture Select Committee in May 1988. The development of live-monitoring techniques and the introduction of "mark and release" arrangements were designed to minimise disruption of normal husbandry practices of those farmers whose sheep have been caught by post-Chernobyl movement and slaughter restrictions and the Government have so far paid over £8558W million in compensation to the farmers concerned. In addition, we have funded an extensive scientific research programme aimed at obtaining a better understanding of the behaviour of radiocaesium in the affected upland ecologies and at identifying any options for remedial treatment of either the land or the sheep which graze it. However, our first priority has been to ensure that consumers remain fully protected at all times and, by successfully maintaining public confidence in the quality and safety of British produce, the Government have helped to sustain healthy markets for British farmers both at home and overseas.