Remit of the Committee Examining Radiation Risks from Internal
Emitters
"To consider the present risk models for radiation and health that apply to exposure to radiation from internal radionuclides in the light of recent studies and any further research that might be needed".
Purpose
In 2001 the Environment Minister Michael Meacher announced that there would be a review of models used to estimate health risks from radioactive materials taken into the body. This review was carried out by CERRIE, the Committee Examining Radiation Risks from Internal Emitters.
CERRIE's remit was:
"to consider the present risk models for radiation and health that apply to exposure to radiation from internal radionuclides in the light of recent studies and any further research that might be needed".
CERRIE was set up under the auspices of the Government's advisory Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE). CERRIE was sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Department of Health. However CERRIE was completely independent of COMARE and the Government departments. The Committee's report described the views of all parties in the debate on risks of radiation. The Committee aimed to reach consensus, but where differences of view remained, it explained the reasons for these and recommended research to try to resolve them.
CERRIE's final Report was not subject to amendment by COMARE, the Department of Health or DEFRA. COMARE has considered the CERRIE Report and advised the Government on it. See www.comare.org.
CERRIE's meetings were not held in public. However, information on its meetings is available.
Structure
The Chairman of CERRIE was Professor Dudley Goodhead. The Committee's Members are drawn from a wide range of backgrounds and viewpoints. The Committee's Secretariat was made up of two consultants. See who's who for more details.
The Chairman of COMARE, Professor Bryn Bridges, attended CERRIE meetings as an observer, as did officials from the Department of Health and DEFRA.
CERRIE is jointly financed by the Department of Health and DEFRA, who also provide other resources such as office space and meeting rooms. However, the Committee is fully independent of COMARE and the Government departments. Its final Report was a matter for the Committee alone and was not vetted by COMARE or any Government departments.
Members and Secretariat of the CERRIE Committee (Professor
Darby, Mr Bramhall and Mr Dorfman absent)
Who's Who
CERRIE Chairman:
Professor Dudley Goodhead
MRC Radiation and Genome Stability Unit
(Professor Goodhead retired from the MRC unit in 2003)
CERRIE Members:
- Mr Richard Bramhall
Low Level Radiation Campaign - Dr Chris Busby
Green Audit - Dr Roger Cox
National Radialogical Protection Board - Professor Sarah Darby
Clinical Trial Service Unit, University of Oxford - Dr Philip Day
Department of Chemistry, University of Manchester - Dr John D Harrison
National Radialogical Protection Board - Dr Colin Muirhead
National Radialogical Protection Board - Mr Peter Roche
Greenpeace UK (until March 2004) - Professor Jack Simmons
Formerly University of Westminster - Dr Richard Wakeford
British Nuclear Fuels plc - Professor Eric Wright
Department of Molecular & Cellular Pathology
University of Dundee
Dr Ian Fairlie, Mr Paul Dorfman