§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the purpose of tests and studies carried out by the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment on service volunteers with the nerve agent Tabun; when these tests and studies were first carried out; in which scientific journals the results of these tests and studies have been published; and what research his Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the health effects of long-term exposure to Tabun. [9041]
§ Mr. ArbuthnotThis is a matter for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Harry Cohen, dated 16 January 1996:
Your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking what was the purpose of tests and studies carried out by the Chemical Defence Establishment on service volunteers with the nerve agent Tabun; when these tests were first carried out; in which scientific journals the results have been published; and what research his department has a) commissioned and b) evaluated into the health effects of long term exposure to Tabun has been passed to me to reply as the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency which includes the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment as one of its divisions.Studies to evaluate the nerve agent Tabun were conducted following the discovery of this agent in German shells found after the collapse of the Third Reich at the end of the Second World War. The purpose of the investigations was to determine the incapacitating effects on service personnel resulting from exposure to sub-lethal doses. Military interest has always been concerned with short term exposure and no studies to assess the effects of long term exposure to any nerve agents have been carried out. Work with Tabun involving the use of service volunteers ended over 40 years ago. We can find no record of any results of the studies undertaken appearing in the scientific literature. It is probable that security considerations precluded the open publication of this work at the time it was conducted in the late 1940s and early 1950s.I hope this information is helpful.
§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times the steering group of the 1980 memorandum of understanding on chemical and biological defence between the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States of America has met since November 1992; where these meetings were held; what was decided at each of these meetings; and if he will place copies of the minutes of these meetings in the Library. [9043]
§ Mr. ArbuthnotThe steering group of the 1980 memorandum of understanding on chemical and biological defence between the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States of America has met three times since November 1992: in Canada in November 1993; in the United States of America in November 1994; and in the United Kingdom in November 1995. These meetings addressed policy on tri-national collaboration. The 529W proceedings of these meetings are security classified. It is not therefore appropriate to place copies of the minutes in the Library of the House.
§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what grounds members of the ethics committee overseeing the service volunteers programme at the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment are chosen; if members are required to sign the Official Secrets Act; what access they are given to classified information; and what annual reports this committee produces on its work. [9044]
§ Mr. ArbuthnotIndividuals are invited to become members of the independent ethics committee on the grounds that their expertise and experience complements those of the existing members, taking into consideration the guidelines on the constitution of ethics committees published by the Royal College of Physicians. The members of the committee are required to sign the Official Secrets Act as they have unrestricted access to any classified information which may related to the decisions taken by the committee. The committee produces an annual report which is given a security classification appropriate to the work conducted in that year.
§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the ethics committee overseeing the service volunteers programme at the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment since 1991 had previously(a) served on a committee related to the work of Porton Down, (b) worked at Porton Down and (c) been in receipt of an extramural contract from Porton Down. [9045]
§ Mr. ArbuthnotTwo members of the independent ethics committee were members of the medical committee of the Chemical and biological defence board of the Defence Scientific Advisory Council in the 1970s and 1980s. The chemical, biological and human technology board replaced the chemical and biological defence board in 1994. Three members of the committee are members of the successor board. None of the independent members of the ethics committee has been employed at CBDE Porton Down. The technical director and the senior military officer of CBDE, who are in attendance at the ethics committee meetings, are employees of the Ministry of Defence. None of the members of the ethics committee is currently in receipt of an extramural contract from Porton Down