§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the handling method for the proposed dumping of radioactive materials from RAF Sealand accords with the practice embodied in the licence for the tip at Arpley Meadows landfill site in Warrington; what precautions are being taken to prevent the radioactivity leaching into the River Mersey and the surrounding water table; and what measures will be taken to protect those people working at or near the site from possible contamination from radioactive materials.
§ Mr. MacleanThe draft approval document referred to the use of drums to contain this waste. However, at the request of Cheshire county council and the waste disposal contractor, the approval conditions will be amended to allow this waste to be deposited as a loose damp material. The Arpley Meadows site conditions will then be met.
This site has previously been authorised to receive radioactive waste from other organisations. The very low level of radioactivity present in this waste and the low water solubility of the radioactivity of this waste means that this method of disposal should not present any additional environmental problems. The loose material will be damped down before being deposited to minimise dust emissions from the tipping operation.
§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what surveys and hazard assessments have been carried out prior to the dumping at the Arpley Meadows landfill site in Warrington and what were their results; and on what grounds authorisation was granted for the dumping of radioactive waste at the site.
§ Mr. MacleanThe radioactivity and radiological effects of this waste have been assessed as part of the approval procedure. The results of these assessments are that the total radioactivity contained in this waste is less than 100 MBq which is less than the radioactivity contained in the average garden or given off by granite rocks in Cornwall.
Since the RAF, and therefore the Crown, is sending this material for disposal, approval and not authorisation is given for this disposal of waste. This approval has not yet been granted. The proposed grounds for approval are that the material will be deposited as a loose damp material, 381W that the material will be buried at least 1.5 metres below the surface of the site, that the waste is landfilled at an area within the site specified by the site operator and that the waste is accompanied by a competent person during the transit from the premises to the waste disposal site and during the tipping operation.
§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total level of radioactivity in the material from RAF Sealand proposed to be dumped at the Arpley Meadows landfill site in Warrington; if he will require the radioactive material to be dumped in sealed containers; how regularly the area will be checked for radioactive leakage and for excessive levels of radioactivity; and what will be considered the maximum safe level of radioactivity at the dump.
§ Mr. David MacleanThe waste from RAF Sealand contains less than 100 MBq of radioactivity which is expected to be present in building rubble and overalls and will be contained in at most two covered skips. In the draft approval document, reference was made to the use of sealed metal containers. The disposal of such containers can cause problems due to delayed compaction within the waste disposal site and is therefore not now standard practice for the Arpley Meadows site. The waste disposal contractor and the county council have requested that drums should not be used. Considering the level of radioactivy present in this waste, approval for dumping damp loose material from skips was proposed.
It has been recommended that the monitoring of the leachate from this site be incorporated into the HMIP monitoring program for radioactive waste disposal sites. From the assessments which have been carried out, the site operator, the waste disposal contractor and HMIP consider that the proposed disposal of this material to this site is an acceptable and suitable disposal route and location.
§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the results of the tests on
382W
Numbers of claimants, partners and dependants receiving Income Support, by client group, 1989–91 and percentage of the total 1989 000s Per cent. 1990 000s Per cent. 1991 000s Per cent. Unemployed 2,176 31 1,864 27 2,393 31 of which: Claimants 1,216 1,063 1,335 Partners 353 298 390 Dependants 607 503 668 Pensioners 1,868 27 1,953 28 1,820 23 of which: Claimants 1,607 1,675 1,575 Partners 236 250 213 Dependants 25 28 32 Disabled 458 7 519 7 596 8 of which: Claimants 290 330 375 Partners 73 76 90 Dependants 95 113 131 Lone parents 2,056 29 2,177 31 2,399 31 of which: Claimants 756 793 871 Partners — — — Dependants 1,300 1,384 1,528 Others 465 7 509 7 539 7 of which: radioactivity at the Arpley Meadows landfill site after the dumping of radioactive material from RAF Sealand; and if he will allow the testing of radioactivity levels by independent bodies at the site after the dumping of radioactive materials.
§ Mr. David MacleanThe results of tests on radioactivity at the site will be given to the Environmental Planning Department of Cheshire county council. The results from the site monitoring will be made public if the site is incorporated into the HMIP monitoring program— radioactive substances. The decision about testing by other bodies rests with the site operator who controls access to the site.