To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent studies have been (a) commissioned and (b) received by his Department on the long-term radiological impact of United Kingdom nuclear tests conducted at the Maralinga and Emu sites in Australia.

My Department commissioned and has recently received a copy of the National Radiological Protection Board report "Assessment of the Potential Radiological Impact of Residual Contamination in the Maralinga and Emu Areas" (NRPB-R237). This was published in November 1990 as part of the report commissioned by the Australian Government of the technical assessment group (TAG) on rehabilitation of the former United Kingdom nuclear weapon test sites in Australia.