§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will commission an independent investigation of the medical records of the 8,000 service men still living who were present in the south Pacific during the nuclear tests in the 1950s; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Ian StewartThe survey which the Ministry of Defence announced on 12 January 1983 will consider the medical information contained in the National Health Service central register. It is not the intention to commission an investigation of individual medical records.
§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will permit former service men who were present in the south Pacific during the nuclear tests in the 1950s to give evidence to his survey on the subject; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Ian StewartThe information contained in the National Health Service central register will be sufficient to achieve the aim of the survey, which is to discover by statistical analysis whether or not the incidence of radiation associated diseases amongst British personnel who participated in the tests is significantly different from that which would have been experienced had they not been involved in the tests. It is therefore intended to invite evidence from the participants.