§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will now take steps to allow service men present in the south Pacific during the British nuclear tests in the 1950s to seek legal action for compensation; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Ian StewartThe Ministry of Defence has not sought to prevent service men taking legal action. The pursuit of legal action for compensation is a matter for individual claimants and their legal advisers. The effects of section 10 of the Crown Proceedings Act 1947 depend on the grounds for the claim and the circumstances in which it arose.
§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will now release the figures of the yield of nuclear bombs tested by Her Majesty's Government in the south Pacific during the 1950s; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Ian StewartNo. It would not be in the national interest to do so.
§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will now release the 1968 Pearce report about British nuclear tests at Maralinga; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Ian StewartNo. The full report is classified.
§ 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 Stewart[pursuant to his reply, 21 April 1983, c. 184]: The 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 not therefore intended to invite evidence from the participants.