§ Mr. Keith SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what working definition of Gulf War Syndrome he used in order to assess whether such a condition existed. [85003]
§ Dr. MoonieEach medical syndrome comprises a set of physical signs and/or symptoms that distinguishes it from other medical conditions. As a group, Gulf veterans have reported more ill-health than other comparable groups. The pattern of their ill- health is not unique but they have reported symptoms with greater frequency and of more severity than those in comparable groups. Some Gulf veterans have recognised medical conditions, but a large number of non-specific, multi-system, medically unexplained symptoms have also been reported. The consensus of the694W international scientific and medical community is that this diversity of symptoms means that ill-health among Gulf veterans cannot be characterised as a unique Gulf related illness or syndrome. The Ministry of Defence's approach must be guided by medical science and so does not recognise "Gulf War Syndrome" as a medical condition and has no working definition of such a syndrome.