§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what requests his Department has received for the disclosure of papers dated between 6 November 1997 and 17 July 1998 relating to depleted uranium; what response172W he has given; if he has authorised investigations by MoD police relating to these papers; and if he will make a statement. [63035]
§ Mr. Doug HendersonThe Ministry of Defence has received two requests for copies of documents, dated between 6 November 1997 and 17 July 1998, which relate to depleted uranium. Both requests, which were from the same individual, are being considered under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
The documents were requested by reference to details given in a document list which has been reported to the Ministry of Defence Police as having been stolen from the Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Medical Assessment Programme based at St. Thomas' Hospital, London. Since then the Ministry of Defence Police have been investigating the reported theft in the normal way.
The Chief Constable of the Ministry of Defence Police is independent of ministerial and departmental influence in operational policing matters and it is for him to authorise any investigations.