Air Sampling Missions

Mr. Arbuthnot
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what records his Department holds of air sampling missions to measure emissions from foreign nuclear weapons testing carried out before 1980 by (a) the Strategic Reconnaissance Force and (b) other units of the Royal Air Force.

Des Browne
The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory holds historical records relating to the health and safety of crew who carried out foreign nuclear weapons testing air sampling work and the routine radioactive contamination monitoring of high flying aircraft prior to 1980. The information in the records primarily relates to monitoring procedures, and aircraft surface contamination monitoring results.