§ Lord Ashley of Stokeasked Her Majesty's Government:
What account has been taken of new epidemiological studies in assessing the claims of nuclear test veterans. [HL5869]
§ Lord BachIn response to concerns for nuclear test veterans about their health, two independent epidemiology studies were carried out on the Ministry of Defence's behalf by the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB), in conjunction with the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. The results of these studies were published in 1988 and 1993 and showed that, as a group, participation in the British atmospheric nuclear tests has not had a detectable effect on the expectation of life or on the risk of developing cancer or other fatal diseases by those who took part.
A third study has been undertaken by the NRPB into the incidence of multiple myeloma, other cancers and other causes of death among nuclear test veterans. The results of this study are expected to be published later this year.
The results of no other epidemiological studies concerning nuclear test veterans have been made available to the Ministry of Defence.
§ Lord Ashley of Stokeasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will now investigate the possible effect of genetic damage on the children and grandchildren of nuclear test veterans. [HL5870]
§ Lord BachThere is no scientific or medical evidence that shows that the health or other physical problems suffered by the children and grandchildren of nuclear test veterans can be attributed to participation in the test programme.
54WAThe recently published Seventh Report of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiaton n the Environment (COMARE) has dismissed ideas of a general link between paternal preconceptional exposure to radiation and childhood cancer. Current information on radiation health effects suggests that studies of cancer among people exposed to radiation are likely to provide a more sensitive means of detecting such effects than studies of their children.
§ Lord Ashley of Stokeasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will fund further studies to ascertain the possible damage to the health of nuclear test veterans. [HL5872]
§ Lord BachTwo comprehensive independent studies involving some 21,000 nuclear test veterans showed that there is no evidence of excess illness or mortality among the veterans as a group which could be linked to their participation in the nuclear test programme. The results of a third study, which has looked at the incidence of multiple myeloma, other cancers and other causes of death among test veterans, are due to be published at the end of the year. There are no plans for any further studies.