§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the results and conclusions of the recent radiation monitoring programme carried out on the environment around Trawsfynydd power station by the fisheries radiological inspectorate on behalf of the Welsh Office.
§ Mr. David HuntOn behalf of the Welsh Office, the fisheries radiological inspectorate regularly monitors levels of radioactivity in a variety of materials in the aquatic environment around Trawsfynydd power station. The results of this monitoring are pubished annually in the report "Radioactivity in Surface and Coastal Waters of the British Isles", copies of which are placed in the Library of the House.
In addition to this regular monitoring of fish and sediments at Trawsfynydd an enhanced programme of analysis was set up earlier this year by the inspectorate to measure radioactivity in sediment profiles at Trawsfynydd lake. This work has recently been completed and the results have been made available to the local community liaison committee. They are broadly consistent with earlier readings obtained by Nuclear Electric. The radioactivity present in the sediments is at a low level.
In terms of overall exposure to radioactivity by the public, the most highly exposed group are people who fish the lake and consume their catch. Expert advice is that the total radiation dose likely to be received by this group is no more than 10 per cent. of the internationally recommended limit of 1 mSv per year, i.e. well within the recognised safety limit.