§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what levels of radioactivity are permitted for release to the atmosphere after the incineration of radioactively contaminated materials.
§ Mr. BaldryRadioactive waste may be disposed of only if an authorisation has been issued under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution. 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 Commission on Radiological Protection. As for disposal by incineration, authorisations are issued on a case-by-case basis taking all the local circumstances into account. However, it is usual to permit disposals of up to 4 megabecquerels per day of the commonly used tritium and carbon-14 without this detailed examination.