HC Deb 08 December 1994 vol 251 cc305-7W
Mrs. Currie

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what independent research he has commissioned into the possible after effects of inoculations against anthrax, yellow fever, hepatitis, plague, polio and cholera, given singly or together or within a few day of each other to personnel serving in the Gulf war.

Mr. Soames

None. All known vaccine interactions are published in standard medical textbooks and the British national formulary. Short-term side-effects—sore arm, malaise—are very common after any vaccination procedure but there is no scientific or medical evidence to suggest that vaccines can interact to produce long-term adverse health effects. Furthermore, it is not unusual, in normal medicine practice, for a number of separate vaccines to be administered at the same time or over a short period.

Mrs. Currie

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will issue regimental part I orders to all current service personnel requiring those who served in the Gulf war and who believe they may have suffered ill-effects to report to their medical officer.

Mr. Soames

Personnel from all three services who believe that they are suffering from ill health, for whatever reason, have been encouraged to report to their medical officer. The armed forces medical services have already established a medical assessment programme for those who believe their ill health is a result of their Gulf service. The existence of this assessment programme is well known in the services and the issuing of orders is not therefore considered necessary.

Mrs. Currie

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what independent research he has commissioned into possible birth defects in children born to the families of service personnel who served in the Gulf war.

Mr. Soames

We are aware of no scientific or medical evidence to suggest that the incidence of genetic defects among babies born into the families of British Gulf veterans is any higher than that found among the civilian population. Given the lack of evidence, there are no grounds for commissioning independent research.

Mrs. Currie

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research has been commissioned into leishmania tropica infection in service personnel who served in the Gulf war, with particular reference to viscerotropic leishmaniasis.

Mr. Soames

Tests for leishmaniasis are routinely performed on United Kingdom armed forces personnel whose service and personal history, symptoms and signs are suggestive of this disease. No case of any species of leishmania has been found in British armed forces personnel who served in the Gulf, and we have not therefore commissioned any additional research into the disease. We are aware, however, that the United States authorities have to date identified 31 cases of leishmaniasis among their personnel who served in the Gulf, including 12 cases of a disseminated disease not previously associated with the species leishmania tropica, which has been labelled viscerotropic leishmaniasis. The armed forces medical services will continue to monitor developments in the United States.

Mrs. Currie

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the troops who served in Operation Granby(a) are still serving in the armed forces and (b) have been invalided out since.

Mr. Soames

Around 45,0000 service personnel were deployed to the middle east in support of operation Granby. Details of the number still serving are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. According to central medical records, one Royal Navy, 44 Army and three Royal Air Force personnel have, to date, been discharged on medical grounds as a result of injuries or illness sustained as a result of incidents during Operation Granby. All were discharged for recognised medical conditions.

Mrs. Currie

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research he has commissioned into possible nerve end damage, whether permanent or temporary, in service men and women as the result of exposure to various agents during the Gulf war.

Mr. Soames

None. Any service man or woman whose medical history, symptoms and signs are suggestive of neurological—including nerve end damage—is thoroughly investigated in accordance with normal clinical practice. None of the 65 individuals so far assessed under the Gulf medical assessment programme have neurological damage, and we therefore see no reason to commission specific research into this matter.

Mrs. Currie

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what checks have been carried out to establish whether service personnel with a history of asthma or hay fever may be particularly susceptible to nerve agent pre-treatment set or other products used for their protection during the Gulf War.

Mr. Soames

There is no evidence that normal seasonal hay fever sufferers are particularly susceptible to any of the protective measures used during Operation Granby. Individuals with a history of asthma could be susceptible to one of the protective measures, NAPS, the active constituent of which is pyridostigmine bromide. The administration of pyridostigmine bromide is not contra-indicated for known asthmatics, but caution is advised because the drug may exacerbate asthma symptoms. However, asthma is generally not compatible with service in the armed forces and potential recruits with a history of this condition would not be accepted for service. Furthermore, those already serving who develop asthma are required to be referred to a service consultant who assesses their suitability to be retained in the services. Those retained would normally serve in a reduced medical category which would preclude operational service.

Mrs. Currie

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make available to ex-service personnel who served in the Gulf war their full medical records, including details of all injections and other protective measures given.

Mr. Soames

Service medical records are the property of the Department and can be released only to the patient concerned in accordance with the Access to Health Records Act 1990, which came into force on 1 November 1991. Under the provisions of this Act, which is not retrospective, medical records are normally released only to the individual whom they concern if they were compiled after 1 November 1991. For records compiled before this date, however, it has long been my Department's policy to release them on request to a former service person's GP or solicitor where they may be required for the management of a particular case.

Mrs. Currie

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what independent research he has commissioned into the possible after-effects of exposure to a combination of two or more of inoculations against infectious diseases, NAPS tablets, organo-phosphorus pesticides and airborne pollution.

Mr. Soames

None. We are aware of no scientific or medical evidence which suggests that the combination of preventative medical procedures and individually non-harmful levels of other substances presents any increased risk to health which would warrant the commissioning of specific research.

Mrs. Currie

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Gulf war veterans have presented themselves with illnesses since their return; and how many have, in the judgment of his Department, been suffering from identifiable complaints, whether or not linked to their service in Operation Granby.

Mr. Soames

The information is not available in the form requested as no central record is maintained of visits by armed forces personnel to service primary health case facilities, and responsibility for the health of those Gulf veterans who have left the services rests with the national health service. One hundred and eighty-five Gulf war veterans with concerns about their health have, however, come forward at our request for medical assessment by the armed forces medical services. Of these, 65 have so far been examined under the medical assessment programme and all have been found to be suffering from identifiable complaints, none of which are peculiar to service in the Gulf.