HL Deb 13 November 1997 vol 583 cc45-6WA
The Countess of Mar

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether any of the epidemiological research studies commissioned by them are designed to indicate whether there are higher levels of reported illness among specific groups of members of Her Majesty's Armed Forces who served in Operation Granby than there are among those who did not serve in the operation.

Lord Gilbert

The MoD is funding two epidemiological studies, recommended by the Medical Research Council, which are intended to establish whether Gulf veterans are suffering an unusual amount of ill-health. One study under Professor Cherry at Manchester University aims to determine whether Gulf veterans are experiencing greater ill-health than Service personnel who did not take part in the conflict and to identify possible exposures and predisposing factors associated with any distinctive patterns of symptoms which may be found. The other study under Dr. Doyle at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine will examine the reproductive health of Gulf veterans and the health of their children. As part of their research, the study teams will consider whether any patterns of unusual illness which they may find are associated with particular sub-groups of those who served in the Gulf.

The Countess of Mar

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will list the research studies currently being undertaken at DERA, Porton Down, into the possible causes of illness among members of Her Majesty's Armed Forces who served in Operation Granby.

Lord Gilbert:

The Chemical and Biological Defence (CBD) sector of DERA at Porton Down is not conducting any research into the possible causes of illness among Gulf veterans. Some of the new research announced on 14 July by my right honourable friend the Minster (Armed Forces) to investigate the possible health effects of the combination of vaccines and tablets given to troops in the Gulf will be undertaken at CBD Porton Down. The results of this work will both provide scientific data with which to address veterans' concerns about the use of medical countermeasures during the Gulf War and also inform the Government's policy on the future use of such countermeasures.

The Countess of Mar

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether there is any indication from the medical assessment programme for members of Her Majesty's Armed Forces who served in Operation Granby that there are specific patterns of disease confined to specific groups of individuals on the basis of the military units in which they served.

Lord Gilbert:

No. However, the diagnostic coding and preparation of statistical data from the MoD's medical assessment programme has only been completed for a small proportion of the veterans who have so far been seen and diagnosed by MAP physicians. As my right honourable friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces announced on July 14, the new Government has taken steps to speed up this process, and the MoD intends to publish later this year detailed results relating to approximately the first 1,000 patients who have been seen by the MAP. Thereafter, further information will be released as it becomes available, including details of any patterns of illness associated with particular sub groups of Service personnel who served in the Gulf if these are found.