§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) to what extent the National Radiological Protection Board will be analysing its figures of death and cancer amongst those who took part in nuclear tests according to the level of the radiation dose received;
(2) how the National Radiological Protection Board decided the size of group to be studied in connection with the nuclear tests of the 1950s and 1960s;
(3) in what ways the National Radiological Protection Board searched for the statistical data to be used in its study of the health of nuclear test veterans; and if there was any appeal for evidence;
172W(4) if he will explain the term cancer registration used in connection with the study of the health of nuclear test veterans by the National Radiological Protection Board;
(5) which aspects of the health of nuclear veterans are being studied by the National Radiological Protection Board, and why.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThis is a matter for the NRPB.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence when he now expects to receive the report of the National Radiological Protection Board on nuclear test veterans; when the report was commissioned; at what date it was then expected to be completed; what further expected dates for completion have been given and when; and what has been the reason for the delay.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonWhen the NRPB health study was commissioned in October 1983, it was anticipated that it would take about three years to complete. However, the NRPB have now sought more time to do further checks on the data base. Additional work is needed to identify a small proportion (about 10 per cent.) of the study population, which in total now comprises 45,000 names, half participants and half controls. The Board now expect the results to be available toward the end of this year.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many awards have been made to service personnel because they served in areas where nuclear tests were carried out and suffered damage.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonNone.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether any of the civilians who took part in nuclear tests in the 1950s have attempted to seek compensation for injury or death; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonA small number of claims have been received but no compensation awards have been made.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Atomic Energy Authority or his Department took out insurance cover for any of the personnel who took part in the nuclear tests of the 1950s and 1960s; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonNo.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence what exposure to ionising radiations was considered to be the maximum consistent with safety at the time of the nuclear tests of the 1950s and 1960s; and what is the corresponding figure today.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe exposure limits used for the United Kingdom Atmospheric Nuclear Weapon Tests were according to the appropriate Medical Research Council Sub-Committee recommendations and were not appreciably different from the current planned special exposure limits defined by the International Commission on Radiological Protection.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many of those who took part in the nuclear tests of the 1950s and 1960s were exposed to ionising radiation at a level higher than that considered at the time to be safe.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonNo personnel serving at any of the tests were exposed to ionising radiation above a level that was considered to be harmful.
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§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has about the number of children with congenital defects born to the children of service personnel who served in areas where nuclear tests were carried out; and how this number compares with the normal incidence of such congenital defects.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonI refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 21 April 1986, column 87.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) civilians and (b) forces personnel took part in the nuclear test programme in the 1950s and 1960s; and how many in each category received doses of radiation that were (i) low, (ii) high and (iii) especially high.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonApproximately 1,500 civilians and 20,000 United Kingdom Servicemen participated in the test programme. Approximately 15,000 of the 20,000 participants were not exposed to additional radiation at all. Most of those who were exposed to ionising radiation other than natural background, received a radiation dose less than one tenth of the limit prescribed for radiation workers.
No personnel serving at any of the tests were exposed to ionising radiation above a level that was considered harmful.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many awards have been made to widows whose husbands served in areas where nuclear tests were carried out and who suffered damage.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonNone.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many nuclear weapon tests took place during the 1950s and 1960s; and what were the sizes of the explosions.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonA list of the 21 United Kingdom Atmospheric Nuclear Weapon tests carried out between 1952 and 1958, together with the yields, is available in the Library of the House.