§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if members of the armed forces serving in the Gulf war were made aware of the medical implications 461W and side effects of taking nerve agent pre-treatment set tablets.
§ Mr. SoamesAll United Kingdom military personnel routinely take part in nuclear, biological and chemical defence training. This training includes instruction on the purpose and proper administration of nerve agent pre-treatment set—NAPS—tablets. Specific reference to side- effects was not made during Operation Granby, since, when taken at the stated dose, side-effects occur only in a minority of individuals, are minor in nature and cease when the tablets are no longer taken. Instructions on the NAPS packet make clear that the stated dose should not be exceeded and this point is emphasised in training.