§ Mr. RandallTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessments have been made of the dangers of exposure to radiation for MOD personnel. [167999]
§ Mr. CaplinHeads of Establishments and Commanding Officers have a statutory duty under the Ionising Radiation Regulations 1999 to carry out prior risk assessments, and to keep the assessments up to date, to ensure that exposures of the Ministry of Defence personnel are restricted to as low a level as is reasonably practical. In doing this they seek advice from their Radiation Protection Advisers. Due to numerous and varied situations where this duty applies, it is not possible to list each and every recent occasion where such risk assessments have been undertaken.
The MOD contributes to the National Registry of Radiation Workers database managed by the National Radiological Protection Board. The data are used to undertake epidemiological studies. In their second analysis of the data, published in July 1999, the National Radiological Protection Board concluded that overall death rates among radiation workers are below those in the general population. This is known as the healthy worker effect. This analysis contained 124,743 workers of which about one-third were MOD radiation workers or former radiation workers. The National Radiological Protection Board is intending to undertake the next analysis in 2005–06.
§ Mr. RandallTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provisions for medical check-ups are provided for(a) current radiation workers and (b) retired and former radiation workers in his Department. [168000]
§ Mr. CaplinThe Ministry of Defence carries out medical surveillance of radiation workers as required by Ionising Radiation Regulations 1999, Regulation 24. These regulations lay down monitoring and medical surveillance requirements for personnel while occupationally exposed to ionising radiation. The main purpose of medical728W surveillance is to determine an individual's fitness or continuing fitness fer the intended work with ionising radiation.
There is no mandatory requirement for a monitoring programme for retired personnel and no optional health screening is offered to retired personnel. However, the MOD does provide an independent counselling service for radiation workers, former radiation workers and their families who have concerns about their health consequent of their work with radiation. Individuals may request counselling by telephoning the Counselling Telephone line (02392 768098) and leaving their names and addresses or by writing to the MOD Counselling Registry at DSTL Radiological Protection Services, Crescent Road, Alverstoke, Gosport Hants, PO12 2DL. Further details are available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.mod.uk/dsef/hp/rwc.htm