Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the threshold is for recording a serious radiation breach at naval bases; and which organisations are responsible for assessing what constitutes a (a) serious and (b) non-serious radiation breach.

The Ministry of Defence is responsible for the assessment and categorisation of radiological safety events. The categorisation of events at HM Naval Base Clyde is aligned to the guidance issued by the Office for Nuclear Regulation. The radiological consequences of an event would be considered serious if it resulted in an unplanned radiation exposure exceeding a statutory dose limit or a release of radioactive material which exceeds the notification value in the Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017.