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AVAILABLE. THERE WAS NO OVER-REACTION.
ADDITIONAL POINTS FOR USE FREELY
BRITISH NATIONALS IN THE AREA
4. IN VIEW OF THE LACK OF INFORMATION AFTER THE ACCIDENT WE TOOK THE SENSIBLE PRECAUTION OF ADVISING BRITISH SUBJECTS IN THE AREA (MAINLY STUDENTS AND TEACHERS) TO LEAVE. THEY ARRIVED IN BRITAIN ON 1 MAY AND WERE MET BY SCIENTISTS FROM THE NATIONAL RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION BOARD. THE LEVELS OF RADIATION DETECTED ON THOSE RETURNING WERE WELL BELOW THE PERMITTED LEVELS FOR A YEAR FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. CLOTHING FROM THE MINSK AND KIEV APEAS WAS, HOWEVER, FOUND TO BE CONTAMINATED. SIMILAR TESTS ON TRAVELLERS RETURNING FROM WARSAW ON 2 MAY, INCLUDING SOME EMBASSY WIVES AND CHILDREN, SHOWED THAT THEY WERE QUOTE CLEAN
UNQUOTE.
BRITISH ASSISTANCE TO THE SOVIET UNION
5. WE HAVE OFFERED FULL ASSISTANCE AND COOPERATION TO THE SOVIET UNION IN DEALING WITH THE DISASTER: BRITAIN HAS CONSIDERABLE TECHNICAL KNOW-HOW IN THIS FIELD. IN THEIR CONTACTS WITH US THE RUSSIANS HAVE INDICATED THEY DO NOT NEED OUR HELP, ALTHOUGH THERE HAS BEEN AN INFORMAL APPROACH AT THE IAEA IN VIENNA ABOUT THE
POSSIBILITY OF UK ASSISTANCE.
SIMILAR PEACTORS IN BRITAIN
6. THERE ARE NO SIMILAR POWER STATIONS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM (AS STATED BY MR BAKER IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON 29 APRIL). HE
POINTED OUT THAT A DISTURBING FEATURE OF THE LATEST TRAGEDY WAS THE WAY IN WHICH THE KNOWLEDGE OF IT HAD EMERGED, NOT FROM THE SOVIET GOVERNMENT, BUT BY MONITORINGS IN OTHER COUNTRIES.
BACKGROUND
7. TASS BRIEFLY REPORTED ON THE EVENING OF 28 APRIL THAT AN QUOTE ACCIDENT UNQUOTE HAD OCCURRED AT THE CHERNOBYL ATOMIC POWER PLANT QUOTE AS ONE OF THE ATOMIC REACTORS WAS DAMAGED UNQUOTE. IT WENT ON QUOTE MEASURES ARE BEING TAKEN TO ELIMINATE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE ACCIDENT. AID IS BEING GIVEN TO THOSE AFFECTED. A GOVERNMENT COMMISSION HAS BEEN SET UP UNQUOTE. THE MORNING OF 29 APRIL OUR EMBASSY IN MOSCOW WAS ADVISED BY THE SOVIET MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS THAT THERE WERE NO GROUNDS FOR
ON
ICONCERN
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