The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee this morning
held a one-off evidence session on the science and technology
aspects of the strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran.
During the session, MPs explored the risks of striking nuclear
facilities, and the methods used to monitor radiation
leaks.
Commenting on the evidence session, the chair of the
committee, Dame MP, said:
"Today, the committee heard from experts on nuclear
technology and arms control, as well as the International Atomic
Energy Agency and the UK's Office for Nuclear Regulation. We
questioned them about the science behind the recent strikes on
Iranian nuclear sites and were reassured by what we heard:
strikes on enrichment facilities - such as those that took place
in recent days - are unlikely to pose a risk to human health or
the environment. However, they did warn that any strike on a
nuclear reactor, such as Bushehr, could cause a serious leak of
radioactive material.
"The question remains open on how far the strikes have set
back Iran's nuclear programme - our witnesses told us that the
degree of damage was unknown, and that the IAEA was yet to carry
out inspections of the sites. Evidence to the committee
emphasised that the inspection and monitoring process was
predominantly based on voluntary agreements.
/ENDS
Notes to Editors:
- Please find more information about this evidence
session here
- A transcript from the session can be found here
