§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what assessment he has made of the effect on the food chain of contamination from the nuclear reactors and weapons on board the Soviet November class submarine which sank in the western approaches to the United Kingdom on 12 April 1970; and if he will make a statement; [26707]
(2) what action he has taken on the report by the International Atomic Energy Authority of July 1991, "Inventory of Radioactive Material into the Marine Environment", with particular respect to the sinking of a Soviet November class nuclear submarine on 12 April 1970; for what reasons the report has not been published; and if he will make a statement. [26706]
§ Mr. Baldry[holding answer 25 April 1996]: Publication of this report is a matter for the IAEA. A draft of the report was circulated to contracting parties to the convention on the prevention of marine pollution by dumping of wastes and other matter—the "London convention, 1972"—including the United Kingdom, in November 1991. Copies of this version have been placed in the Library.
The reported submarine incident on 12 April 1970 is noted in the draft report. The draft does not identify a specific location but it is given elsewhere as approximately 1,000 km south-west of Land's End, in 4,500 m of water. There is no suggestion the incident took place in the western approaches. Contemporary and subsequent results from MAFF's extensive programme of monitoring for radioactivity in fish, shellfish, sea water and sediments around the British Isles have shown no indication of contamination from this or any other confirmed or reported accidental loss. Reports of the MAFF monitoring programme are also available in the Library.