To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of the methods used by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution to monitor the disposal of radioactive waste; and what is the current level of monitoring staff in post and the number at the same date in each of the past three years.

[holding answer 17 July 1990]: Details of methods used for monitoring radioactivity in the environment including those employed by HMIP, are contained in the following HMSO publications which are available in the Library:

1. "Sampling and Measurement of Radionuclides in the Environment". (Details of the HMIP monitoring programme are shown in the Appendix headed "Establishment F" on page 119).

2. "Monitoring of Radioactivity in the UK Environment".

3. "The Assurance of Quality in Environmental Radionuclide Analyses".

Available information on professional staffing levels in HMIP and prior to that in HM radiochemical inspectorate over the past three years is contained in the Department's management information system returns—MINIS 8–10 —also available in the Library. The MINIS 11 report covering 1989–90 will be placed in the Library in due course.