HC Deb 29 January 2004 vol 417 cc505-6W
Mr. Todd

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps have been taken to categorise into sub-groups by(a) operational activity and (b) incident those covered by the National Radiological Protection Board study of participants in UK nuclear weapons tests. [150844]

Mr. Caplin

The results of the epidemiological studies published by the National Radiological Protection Board have been presented in terms of mortality for all types of cancer, cancer incidence and risk relative to a comparison group within the following sub-categories:(a) by operation; (b) for participants with a recorded radiation dose as well as monitored participants with no recorded radiation dose (with information provided on the relative risks for these categories plus an analysis for any trend in mortality or cancer incidence for those with a recorded radiation dose); (c) personnel identified by MOD as liable to exposure to radiation (for example those aircrew involved in sampling radioactive clouds); and (d) personnel directly involved in the minor trials at Maralinga.

Mr. Todd

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what funding has been granted to the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association to commission scientific advice on the epidemiology of exposure to nuclear tests. [150845]

Mr. Caplin

To date no funding has been granted to the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association (BNTVA) for purposes of commissioning scientific advice. The three independent studies by the National Radiological Protection Board into mortality and cancer incidence among nuclear test veterans were commissioned and funded by the Ministry of Defence.