HC Deb 16 March 1995 vol 256 cc713-7W
Mr. Livingstone

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 3 February,Official Report, column 886, how many safety audits of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment have been carried out by the Safety Services Organisation of his Department since 1965.

Mr. Freeman

This is a matter for the chief executive of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment. I have therefore asked him to reply.

Letter from Graham Pearson to Mr. Ken Livingstone, dated 16 March 1995:

  1. 1. Your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking pursuant to his Answer of 3 February, Official Report, column 886, how many safety audits of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment have been carried out by the Safety Services Organisation of his Department since 1965, has been passed to me to answer as Chief Executive of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment.
  2. 2. The role of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment is to carry out work to ensure that the UK Armed Forces are provided with effective protective measures against the threat that chemical and biological weapons may be used against them.
  3. 3. Our records are not maintained in such a way as to easily provide the number of safety audits carried out since 1965 and to do so would involve disproportionate effort and cost.
  4. 4. Since 1987, the Safety Services Organisation has carried out a total of 21 safety audits made up of individual audits in each of four broad areas which are general, range safety, explosives and fire services.

Mr. Livingstone

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service volunteers have been involved in studies with the NBC suit No. 1 Mk 4 at the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment at Porton Down since 1965; when these studies were carried out; what was the nature and conclusion of these studies; under which defence agreement the results of these studies were shared with other countries; and when this suit was issued for use by the armed forces.

Mr. Soames

This is a matter for the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Graham Pearson to Mr. Ken Livingstone, dated 16 March 1995:

  1. 1. Your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking how many Service volunteers have been involved in studies with the NBC suit No. 1, Mk 4, at the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment at Porton Down since 1965; when these studies were carried out; what was the nature and conclusion of these studies; under which Defence Agreement the results of these studies were shared with other countries; and when this suit was issued to use by the Armed Forces, has been passed to me to answer 714 as Chief Executive. of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment.
  2. 2. The role of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment is to carry out work to ensure that the UK Armed Forces are provided with effective protective measures against the threat that chemical and biological weapons may be used against them. In order to carry out this work, it is necessary to use Service volunteers to:
    1. a. assess the ability of Service personnel to function with new equipment and procedures,
    2. b. develop medical countermeasures to protect Service personnel and
    3. c. evaluate the effects of very low and medically safe concentration of CW agents on the ability of unprotected personnel to operate normally.

No studies involving volunteers are carried out unless there is a clear military need and a detailed protocol has been reviewed and approved by an independent Ethics Committee in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the Royal College of Physicians. 3. Studies into the Mk IV NBC suit involving Service volunteers began in the early 1980s. Since then approximately, 500 Service volunteers have been involved in studies of the Mk IV NBC suit at CBDE. The studies have investigated the physiological load imposed by wearing the Mk IV suit in various climatic conditions and the integrity of the complete ensemble when challenged with aerosols of sodium chloride and sodium fluorescein. 4. Further studies have been conducted at intervals since the introduction into service of the Mk IV suit in 1987. The physiological trials confirmed previous findings that wearing extra clothing over normal combat clothing reduced work tolerance times under certain climatic conditions and the integrity trials confirmed that the various items of UK NBC protective equipment provide effective protection. 5. The results of this work were part of the chemical and biological defence programme and have formed part of the technical database drawn upon in collaboration with our Allies under the agreements covering research, development, deployment and standardisation of chemical and biological defence equipment such as those listed by the Right Hon. Archie Hamilton in his reply of 21 May 1992, Official Report, columns 255–256.

Mr. Livingstone

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the current Director-General of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment at Porton Down is expected to retire; and what is the name and background of his appointed successor.

Mr. Freeman

This is a matter for the chief executive of the Chemical and Biological Establishment. I have therefore asked him to reply.

Letter from Graham Pearson to Mr. Ken Livingstone, dated 16 March 1995:

  1. 1. Your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking when the current Director General of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment at Porton Down, is expected to retire; and what is the name and background of his appointed successor, has been passed to me to answer as Chief Executive of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment.
  2. 2. The role of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment is to ensure that the UK Armed Forces have effective protective measures against the threat that chemical and biological weapons may be used against them.
  3. 3. I shall retire on 19 July 1995 although I shall cease to be the Director General and Chief Executive of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment on 31 March 1995. On I April 1995 CBDE becomes a division of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) whose Chief Executive will be John Chisholm, currently Chief Executive of the Defence Research Agency (DRA). This division will include the present CBDE and the Chemical and Electronic Systems Sector of the current DRA.
  4. 4.I shall be replaced at Porton Down by Dr Graham D Coley who will become the Managing Director of CBDE. His background includes 20 years at the Atomic Weapons Establishment, (Aldermaston) in a number of scientific and managerial posts, 715 followed by various posts in Whitehall, including being Deputy Head of the Efficiency Unit in the Prime Minister's Office, and latterly Assistant Chief Scientific Adviser (Projects) in the Ministry of Defence.

Mr. Livingstone

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which years since 1965 the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment has carried out studies with service volunteers at Bulford; what was the purpose and conclusion of these studies; how many studies were carried out there; and how many service volunteers were involved in these tests.

Mr. Soames

This is a matter for the chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Graham Pearson to Mr. Ken Livingstone, dated 16 March 1995:

  1. 1. Your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking in which years since 1965 the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment has carried out studies with Service volunteers at Bulford; what was the purpose and conclusions of these studies; how many studies were carried out there; and how many Service volunteers were involved in these tests, has been passed to me to answer as Chief Executive of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment.
  2. 2. The role of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment is to ensure that the UK Armed Forces have effective protective measures against the threat that chemical or biological weapons may be used against them. In order to carry out this work, it is necessary to use Service volunteers to:
    1. a. assess the ability of Service personnel to function with new equipment and procedures,
    2. b. develop medical countermeasures to protect Service personnel and,
    3. c. evaluate the effects of very low and medically safe concentrations of CW agents on the ability of unprotected personnel to operate normally.
    • No studies involving volunteers are carried out unless there is a clear military need and a detailed protocol has been reviewed and approved by an independent Ethics Committee in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the Royal College of Physicians.
  3. 3. In a previous answer (Official Report, 24 June 1994, column 374–5); I said that studies involving Service volunteers took place inter alia at Bulford. A further check of our records has now shown that a transcription error occurred and that the Service volunteer studies took place at Bordon and not at Bulford.
  4. 4. One NAPS study took place at Bordon in 1981. Twenty five Service personnel took part of whom 15 received NAPS and 10 received a placebo. The conclusions of the study confirmed earlier findings that the side effects from the taking of NAPS were minimal and did not interfere with military efficiency.
  5. 5. The Nerve Agent Pretreatment Set (NAPS) was developed in response to a requirement which called for a pretreatment effective against poisoning by all known nerve agents. A number of studies were conducted by the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment to identify the effective oral dose regime which used in conjunction with therapy would provide protection against nerve agent poisoning whilst producing minimal or nil side effects.

Mr. Livingstone

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times staff in(a) the biology division and (b) the chemistry and decontamination division of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down, have published the results of their research in scientific journals in the past two years; when they were published; and in which journals.

Mr. Freeman

This is a matter for the chief executive of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment. I have therefore asked him to reply.

Letter from Graham Pearson to Mr. Ken Livingstone, dated 16 March 1995:

  1. 1. Your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking how many times staff in (a) the Biology Division and (b) the Chemistry and Decontamination Division of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment. Porton Down, have published the results of their research in scientific journals in the past two years; when they were published; and in which journals, has been passed to me to answer as Chief Executive of the Biological Defence Establishment.
  2. 2. The role of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment is carry out work to ensure that the UK Armed Forces are provided with effective protective measures against the threat that chemical or biological weapons may he used against them.
  3. 3. Staff in the Biological Division and the Chemistry and Decontamination Division of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment at Porton Down have had 21 and 6 publications respectively in scientific journals during 1993 and 1994. The journals in which these were published are:
    1. a. Analytical Proceedings.
    2. b. Biochemical Pharmacology.
    3. c. Biochemical Society Transactions.
    4. d. British Journal of Pharmacology.
    5. e. Chemistry in Britain.
    6. f. Human and Experimental Toxicology.
    7. g. International Journal of Biochemistry.
    8. h. Journal of Applied Toxicology.
    9. i. Journal of Chromatography.
    10. j. Journal 4 Pharmacology.
    11. k. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology.
    12. I. Journal of Psychopharmacology.
    13. m. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts.
    14. n. Toxicology.
    15. o. Toxicology In Vitro.
    16. p. Xenobiotica.

Mr. Livingstone

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the nature of the collaboration between the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment and the Institute of Aviation Medicine with regard to the service volunteers programme; and in which years this collaboration took place.

Mr. Soames

This is a matter for the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Graham Pearson to Mr. Ken Livingstone, dated 16 March 1995:

  1. 1. Your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking what is the nature of the collaboration between the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment and the Institute of Aviation Medicine with regard to the Service Volunteers programme; and in which years this collaboration took place, has been passed to me to answer as Chief Executive of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment.
  2. 2. The role of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment is to ensure that the UK Armed Forces have effective protective measures against the threat that chemical or biological weapons may be used against them. In order to carry out this work, it is necessary to use Service volunteers to:
    1. a. assess the ability of Service personnel to function with new equipment and procedures,
    2. b. develop medical countermeasures to protect Service personnel and,
    3. c. evaluate the effects of very low and medically safe concentrations of CW agents on the ability of unprotected personnel to operate normally.
  3. No studies involving volunteers are carried out unless there is a clear military need and a detailed protocol has been reviewed and approved by an independent Ethics Committee in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the Royal College of Physicians.
    4. 717
  4. 3. There has been long standing collaboration between CBDE Porton Down and the Institute of Aviation Medicine on a wide range of topics of mutual interest involving visits to and by each Establishment. This collaboration has addressed inter alia the effects of nerve agents on the visual acuity of pilots. Insofar as the Service Volunteer programme is concerned. CBDE and IAM have collaborated in the analytical methods used in carrying out studies with the Nerve Agent Pretreatment Set (NAPS).

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