§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the discovery of radioactive seaweed on the beaches of west Cumbria near Sellafield and its possible repercussions on the purity of laver bread eaten in south Wales.
§ Mr. CurryIn the course of the environmental monitoring programme which the Government require British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) to undertake, material of weed-like appearance, known as hydroids, contaminated with very low levels of radioactivity, has been found on beaches in the Sellafield area. Hydroids are, in fact, inedible animal material similar to coral. We should not expect the findings to have any implication for the food chain, and this is confirmed by recent results from the Ministry's own monitoring programme.
The risk associated with direct exposure of the skin to this material is extremely low. Nevertheless, we require BNFL to clear contaminated material from beaches. The circumstances behind the incident are being investigated and we shall ensure that steps are taken to avoid a recurrence.