§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the handout on health hazards referred to in the answer to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras on 22 January, Official Report, column 731.
§ Mr. FreemanYes.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the handout on health hazards referred to in the answer to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras on 22 January, Official Report, column 731, was distributed throughout the 1st Battalion Queen's Own Highlanders; and if each private soldier received a copy.
§ Mr. FreemanThe main party of the 1st Battalion Queen's Own Highlanders flew out to Kenya between 21 and 25 October. Each soldier was given a copy of the handout as he embarked. A pre-advance party which had flown out on 11 October had not received copies on embarkation and every effort was subsequently made to give them the same instruction whilst in Kenya. All members of the battalion had received the oral pre-exercise briefing, which is standard procedure for all service men going overseas (not just to Kenya) which covered health hazards, including sexually transmitted diseases.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Defence what was the nature of the instructions on AIDS as a health hazard given to the 1st Battalion Queen's Own Highlanders before it went to Kenya.
§ Mr. FreemanI refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave him on 22 January 1987 at column731.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Defence in what way the advice given to the Parachute Regiment before it went to Kenya differed from that given to the Queen's Own Highlanders.
§ Mr. FreemanIt is normal practice for visiting units to brief the staff officers of a subsequent exercising unit. The information given to the Parachute Regiment before it went to Kenya included the same written material, and the oral briefing was based on the same principles as that used for the Queen's Own Highlanders.