asked the Minister for Energy the additional resources, both financial and manpower, which have been made available to the Nuclear Energy Board; and if he will now give an assurance that the board is adequately equipped to deal with any future nuclear accidents.
Written Answers. - Nuclear Energy Board.
29.
In May 1986 a sum of £383,000 was approved for office and laboratory facilities for the Nuclear Energy Board. In addition £60,000 was approved for equipment and provision was made for five extra staff.
As monitoring demands continued to increase in the wake of the Chernobyl accident, the Nuclear Energy Board sought and was granted an additional £167,000 for further monitoring equipment and four extra staff.
It is unrealistic to contemplate the possibility of the board being equipped to deal with every conceivable nuclear accident which might occur, bearing in mind in particular the fact that the installations and materials which would give rise to such accidents do not reside within our jurisdiction. No country in the world is in a position to do this. We are preparing emergency plans which are deemed to be appropriate in our circumstances, and the resources to be allocated to the NEB will be determined accordingly.