§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether the herbicide 2,4,5-T has been used by British troops in Northern Ireland;
(2) when was the last time that British soldiers were involved in spraying the herbicide 2,4,5-T; and whether any longterm study has been made of the side effects that these soldiers may have suffered as a result of spraying this subtance;
(3) whether stocks of 2,4,5-T are still kept by the Armed Forces to be used as a defoliant;
(4) why his Department does not consider it necessary to carry out an inquiry into the health of those British soldiers who were involved in spraying 2,4,5-T during the Malayan insurgency.
§ Mr. HayhoeI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 1 February 1980.—[Vol. 977, c. 763–4]. From the records available, British forces have not used the herbicide 2,4,5-T except for the small-scale use during the Malayan campaign. No stocks of 2,4,5-T are held656W by the Armed Forces for military purposes.