Current COMARE Work Programme
- COMARE will be kept aware of the progress of the policy on "Radon in homes". Any new epidemiological or dosimetric data will be brought to the attention of the Committee so it may consider the current risk estimates from radon in the home in the light of these new data.
- The Department of Health’s Radiation Protection Research Programme is reviewed every few years. COMARE maintains a role in this review process.
- Dounreay. The Dounreay Working Group (DWG) will continue to review progress on the isolation of the Dounreay shaft and the solutions proposed for the remaining particles in the general environment.
- Sellafield. COMARE will be kept up to date on any related matters, including the contamination detected on the beaches at Sellafield. The Secretariat will liaise with appropriate groups and update the Committee as and when information is available.
- COMARE will be kept up to date on the surveillance and review of the incidence of childhood leukaemia and other cancers in the vicinity of Sellafield and of Dounreay, in accordance with recommendation 5 of the 11th report.
- COMARE will be kept up to date on studies of the possible health effects of Electro-magnetic fields.
The Secretariat will bring appropriate information before the committee, as it becomes available.
Given the current public and political interest in this area, updates on the current situation will be given at appropriate meetings. The last update was given by HPA at the meeting in March 2006.
- COMARE has a standing commitment to consider any epidemiology studies involving radiation issues reported by the Small Area Statistics Unit (SAHSU). No SAHSU reports on radiation issues are expected in 2007/08.
- COMARE has a standing commitment to advise on authorised discharges of radioactive materials as and when new or revised authorisations are produced. The Authorisation Working Group advises on draft authorisations and keeps the full committee aware of its proceedings.
- In 2006 DH asked COMARE to address issues of radiation doses arising from new medical procedures starting with personally initiated x-ray computed tomography scanning for the health assessment of asymptomatic individuals. The Secretariat has set up a Medical Practices Subcommittee (MPS) to address this issue and which had its first meeting on 6 March 2006. There have been five meetings in total and the final report is expected to be published by COMARE in December 2007.
- The appearance of radium particles at Dalgety Bay first came on the committee’s work programme back in 1990. The discovery of much smaller particles recently has seen this item reappear for further consideration.
- COMARE will set up a subgroup to review the committee’s concerns over funding for radiation research and in particular that a focussed approach on radiotherapy has left a void in basic radiobiology research. The subgroup plans to raise these concerns at a meeting with the funding bodies.
- In 2007 the Welsh Assembly Government, supported by the Scottish Executive, NHS NI and DH, requested that COMARE update their advice regarding the safety of UV sunbeds in the UK. The secretariat will set up a subgroup to include committee members, experts, patient/client representation and commercial representation to address these issues.
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