Nuclear Testing (Hansard, 23 June 1992)

§ Mr. Hinchliffe
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if a study of cataracts in British nuclear test participants will be undertaken.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
The National Radiological Protection Board considers it to be impracticable to undertake a study of cataracts in all 20,000 test participants. It has, however, agreed to carry out an investigation on a small group of volunteers from the test veterans associations.

§ Mr. Hinchliffe
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will commission a study into potential genetic effects of nuclear contamination in the families of British nuclear test participants.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
A study is to be undertaken by the National Radiological Protection Board in conjunction with the Childhood Cancer Research Group, and other organisations into cancer in the children of radiation workers included in the National Register for Radiation Workers. In the light of this study MoD will consider whether to commission such a study for British test participants.

§ Mr. Hinchliffe
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many body scans have been undertaken by the National Radiological Protection Board as part of its follow-on survey dealing with British nuclear test participants.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
None.

§ Mr. Hinchliffe
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what period the Blue Books, recording radiation exposure in British nuclear test participants, have been compiled.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
The Blue Books record radiation exposures of test participants in the United Kingdom nuclear weapons test programme, both atmospheric and underground, for the period 1952–67.
130W

§ Mr. Hinchliffe
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what authorisation has been given by individuals, who served as participants in British nuclear tests, for their Blue Book entries to be made available to the National Radiological Protection Board.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
None.

§ Mr. Hinchliffe
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what efforts have been made to inform British nuclear test participants of their Blue Book entries and of their rights to access these personal records.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
As the vast majority of test participants received a zero dose, it would be inappropriate to contact each service man individually. Test participants are entitled under suitable privacy arrangements to receive the information on their dose records. held in the Blue Books.