§ Mr. TylerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what long term conclusions, with specific reference to those relating to health effects, his Department reached on the Fluorescent particle trials over south-west Britain between 1955 and 1963; what tests relating to germ warfare have taken place since 1972; and if he will make a statement. [52252]
§ Dr. Moonie[holding answer 25 April 2002]: In 1999 the Ministry of Defence commissioned Professor Peter Lachmann, and a team of distinguished scientists, to undertake an independent review of the Fluorescent particle trials which occurred between 1955 and 1963. The MOD accepts the conclusion of this review which was that
Exposure to cadmium from dissemination of zinc cadmium sulphide during the "Cold War" should not have resulted in adverse health effects in the UK population".The findings of the review are summarised in an open literature paper entitled: The risk to the UK population of zinc cadmium sulphide dispersion by the Ministry of Defence during the "Cold War" (Occup. Environ. Med. 2002. 59, 13–17). Additionally, the complete review can be found at www.mod.uk/publications/zinc-cadmium.A review which summarises the defence trials conducted by the Porton Down establishments, entitled "BW and BW Defence Field Trials Conducted by the UK: 1940–79" can be found in the Library of the House. Subsequent to the trials detailed in this report other defence trials involving simulant organisms have been undertaken on restricted access MOD sites. These trials have assessed the threat posed by specific dissemination methods, evaluated the performance of biological detection systems, considered aspects of decontamination and provided training for operators of the in-service biodetection systems.