Veterans: Radiation Exposure

(asked on 3rd March 2025) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2025 to Question 31001 on Veterans: War Pensions, what the minimum recordable level of radiation dose is for establishing radiation exposure.


Answered by
Al Carns Portrait
Al Carns
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
This question was answered on 6th March 2025

Exposure to a measurable level of ionising radiation is determined by a radiological dosimetry specialist report. Specialist reports are obtained from Defence Radiation and Protection Services and Atomic Weapons Establishment as they hold the relevant records and dosimetry.

Personal dosimeters used by nuclear test veterans were of the passive film badge type which embody a piece of film material sensitive to radiation. When processed, the degree of darkening of the film, if any, indicates the level of radiation exposure. The film badges are sensitive down to 0ยท2 millisievert (20 millirem).

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