§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what guidance he has given to service personnel on(a) HMS Liverpool and (b) other Royal Navy ships sailing to Singapore in relation to the SARS virus; and if he will make a statement; [110469]
(2) what assessment he has made of the risk to British Service personnel visiting Singapore and other areas in the Far East in relation to the SARS virus; and if he will make a statement. [110470]
§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what precautions are being taken to ensure the safety of members of Her Majesty's armed forces serving(a) on vessels and (b) at bases near outbreaks of SARS. [111001]
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§ Dr. MoonieAll travel by the Ministry of Defence and Service personnel to areas where there is thought to be a risk of transmission of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is being undertaken in accordance with current World Health Organisation and Department of Health advice. The risk of Service personnel contracting SARS during planned visits to Singapore and other areas in the Far East is currently assessed as very low. Guidance on SARS has been issued to all Service medical centres, and to all deployed formations and ships. This includes information on the symptoms of the disease, patient management and treatment, and preventative occupational health advice. Further measures are being put in place to reduce the risk.