§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of when all upland grazing areas in the United Kingdom will be free of contamination from the fall-out from Chernobyl. [84894]
§ Mr. RookerRegular assessments are made of radiocaesium levels in sheep in affected areas to determine the prospects for removing controls and further reducing the areas subject to restrictions.
Whilst generally declining, radiocaesium from the Chernobyl accident is still present in some upland areas in the United Kingdom. The rate of decline is dependent on the complex interaction between such factors as soil type, vegetation, weather, drainage and grazing preference. Consequently it is not possible to specify a time at which all these areas will be free of Chernobyl contamination.
42W