Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, to whom the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment reports; how that Committee is funded; and when that Committee last reviewed the Sellafield plant.

The Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) is a Department expert committee, but it provides independent advice to all government departments and agencies throughout England and the devolved authorities. Previously it has reported on requests from the Health Departments of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and the Scottish Government, as well as the Department.

The Committee is funded through the Grant in Aid awarded to Public Health England (PHE) by the Department and the secretariat is provided through PHE.

The tenth report, ‘The incidence of childhood cancer around nuclear installations in Great Britain’, published in 2005 included Sellafield in the analyses.

COMARE has been commissioned by the Department to review the incidence of childhood leukaemia and other cancers around the Sellafield and Dounreay nuclear installations, in accordance with recommendation 5 of the 11th COMARE report. A subcommittee is undertaking this work and it is anticipated it will be published as a report in 2015.