HC Deb 21 July 1965 vol 716 cc1557-8
11. Mr. Driberg

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the Service men or ex-Service men who served on Christmas Island at the time of the nuclear tests in 1957 have died or are suffering from leukaemia or other diseases that can be caused by radiation; and if he will order an investigation of this matter.

Mr. Mayhew

Seventy-two Service men have contracted leukaemia since 1957, of whom three served at Christmas Island. Each case was carefully examined, and there is no evidence to connect the illness with the nuclear tests. We keep no medical records of people who have left the Services, and I do not think that any further investigation would be useful.

Mr. Driberg

Does not my hon. Friend agree that if there are even three cases which might be attributable to this service—which he says there are not—it is a very serious matter? Can he not trace the relatively few Service men who served on Christmas Island, after they left the Service, and have their subsequent medical history investigated?

Mr. Mayhew

No, Sir. There is no evidence at all that the leukaemia of these men was connected with these tests. There is no scientific evidence of that, nor do the figures I have quoted represent even a prima facie case.

Mr. Hay

Would the Minister confirm that the matter raised by the hon. Member for Barking (Mr. Driberg) has been very exhaustively examined over the course of several years and that there is not a jot or tittle of evidence to show that any of the Service men who contracted leukaemia did so as a direct result of being involved in these tests?

Mr. Mayhew

I must say that the most exhaustive inquiries have been made and no evidence whatever has been found.

Mr. Driberg

While I am delighted to hear that the matter has been exhaustively examined, if it has—[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."]—if it has, does that mean that there has been some examination of people who have left the Service, apparently fit, after this special service on Christmas Island? Of course, if it does not mean that, it has not been exhaustively examined.

Mr. Mayhew

Plainly, it would not be possible to keep medical records of all members of the Services after they have left the Services, but there is no evidence to suggest that if this examination were made it would produce any evidence that the tests caused the leukaemia.