RADIATION PROTECTION BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

2.41 p.m.

The Minister for Law and National Development (Mr E. W. Barker) (for the Minister for Science and Technology): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Ionizing radiation from radioactive materials and irradiating apparatus are potentially dangerous, and excessive exposure to such radiation can seriously impair human and animal health. It was for this reason that the Minister for Science and Technology appointed an Ad Hoc Committee in May, 1969, to advise on matters relating to the use of radioisotopes and irradiating apparatus.

Through specific licensing on imports introduced by the Ad Hoc Committee in 1970 and through a survey conducted by the Ministry, it was ascertained that currently there are at least 170 irradiating apparatus and at least 4,500 curies of radioisotopes in use in Singapore. Further, the rate of importation of radioisotopes and irradiating apparatus is estimated at an average of 18 imports per month for the year 1971 as compared to 15 imports per month for the year 1970. Most of the irradiating apparatus are X-ray machines while in the case of radioactive material they are mainly in the form of Cobalt 60 (for healing purposes), Iridium 192 (for industrial radiography) and a scatter of Tritium and Caesium and others (for use in non-destructive testing or as radioactive tracers). The number of persons trained to handle radioactive material and irradiating apparatus is also on the increase and at the last count, they numbered about 150.

Irradiating apparatus and radioisotopes are mainly used by three major sectors, namely, industries, Government and institutions of higher learning. In the industrial sector, the uses of irradiating apparatus and radioisotopes are mainly confined to non-destructive testing and radioactive tracer technology with the shipbuilding and ship-repairing industries as a dominant user (testing of weld). In the Government sector, these are mainly used in hospitals for diagnostic and healing purposes while in the institutions of higher learning, they are used for research purposes.

With growing sophistication and expansion in our industries and medical services, it is anticipated that the variety and quantity of imports of radioisotopes and irradiating apparatus would register very significant increases in the years to come to be accompanied by a corresponding increase in the number of persons trained to handle such material and apparatus.

In the main, the Bill seeks to make provision for the regulation and control of importation, manufacture, sale, disposal, transportation, possession and use of radioactive materials and irradiating apparatus such that these activities may not be permitted except with a licence to be issued by the Director of Radiation Protection who shall be appointed by the Minister for Science and Technology for the administration of the proposed legislation.

More specifically, the Bill provides for the licensing of pharmacists, medical practitioners and veterinary surgeons to authorise these persons to sell and to use radioactive materials for the treatment of human beings and animals. The Bill further requires workers handling radioactive material and irradiating apparatus to be protected from the hazards of over-exposure through constant monitoring of their exposure levels and regular medical examination. There are also provisions in the Bill whereby persons aggrieved by the enforcement of the proposed legislation may have an avenue of appeal to the Minister.

Finally, the Bill empowers the Minister to make subsidiary legislation for a more effective enforcement of the proposed legislation and to establish a Radiation Advisory Committee to advise on matters pertaining to the provisions of the Bill.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. -[Mr E. W. Barker].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.