§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her policy towards the provision of potassium iodate tablets as prophylactics against radiation damage to populations threatened by civil nuclear emergencies.
§ Mr. SackvilleStable iodine prophylaxis is a countermeasure intended to block the uptake of radio-iodine to the thyroid in certain radiological incident scenarios. The Government's policy in this area was principally determined by advice contained in a report from the ad hoc United Kingdom working group on Iodine Prophylaxis1, a copy of which is in the Library.
1 Department of Health Report on Health and Social Subjects 39: Nuclear Accident Countermeasures: Iodine Prophylaxis. HMSO.