The Westminster Government has hit back at claims its has suppressed a report into radiation at Dalgety Bay.
Former PM Gordon Brown accused ministersof a dereliction of duty as he revealed parts of a long-awaited document to be released by the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) next week into the contaminated foreshore’s impact on health.
Meanwhile, the SNP claimed the Ministry of Defence had been forced into abandoning attempts to block the report.
However, now a Government spokesman has stressed a commitment to delivering the best advice to the local community.
“The advice from Public Health England, formerly the Health Protection Agency, has consistently been that the risk to the local community at Dalgety Bay from the presence of radium is very low,” he said.
“We are committed to ensuring that those living locally continue to receive the best possible advice which is why we have worked closely with COMARE to ensure the report’s findings are based on the most comprehensive and up-to-date information available.”
He added the draft of the report which will be published as soon as possible had been circulated to the Scottish Government and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) last November so the local community can continue to receive the most appropriate advice and any necessary action can be taken.
The local community council chairman also expressed “outrage” that agreement was not reached to release the report earlier.
“It now comes at a time when there seems to be an end in sight with a remediation plan being agreed between Sepa and the MoD at the end of June which will be subject of community consultation,” said Colin McPhail.
“Following this, we expect a timetable of its implementation by the MoD.”
With the town’s golden jubilee looming next year, he made a plea to resolve the issue now.
“During its 50 years’ existence it has had to contend with almost half the time in sufferance with the radiation issue which has caused enormous time, money and worry to all concerned, especially its inhabitants,” he said.
“So let’s make a final step in sorting it out and look to the future, without this shadow of the past overhanging it.”
SNP Councillor Douglas Chapman has demanded that the South West Fife area committee considers the COMARE report.
“It is important that the findings of the report can be considered in a democratic and public forum and we are demanding that the MoD is invited to the next committee to defend their actions to date and confirm their plans for the future,” he said.
“Any attempt at a continuing cover-up by the UK Government must end now.”