HC Deb 26 July 1988 vol 138 cc228-31W
Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what action he is taking to investigate the claims of the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association that they have discovered malformity in 700 children born to test veterans; and if he will make a statement;

(2) if he will instruct the National Radiological Protection Board to expand the range of medical conditions included in its next report, for the 10 years commencing January 1984, into the incidence of disease and conditions affecting British nuclear test veterans; if he will ensure that cases of skin disease, depression, genetic disorders, infant mortality, sterility, deformity, miscarriage and still birth will be considered for investigation; and if he will make a statement;

(3) what action he is taking to investigate the causes of infant mortality, deformity, miscarriages and still birth amongst the families of ex-service men who served in the Pacific during the 1950s;

(4) what action he is taking to investigate medical conditions, not related to mortality and cancer, which may have arisen due to ex-service men's exposure to radioactivity during their military service in the Pacific in the 1950s;

(5) what action has been taken to investigate cell scarring in thyroid, liver and intestinal tissues, the reduction of lymphoid cells in blood, overgrowth of lymph tissues in lymph glands and premature aging, as conditions arising from over exposure to ionising radiation among British nuclear test veterans serving in the Pacific during the 1950s;

.(6) what action has been taken to investigate cases of temporary or permanent sterility, reduced fertility and hereditary changes in later generations due to changes in chromosome and gene formation, as conditions arising from over-exposure to ionising radiation, among British nuclear test veterans serving in the Pacific during the 1950s;

(7) what action has been taken to investigate cases of bone cell inflammation and bone cell death, as conditions arising from over exposure to ionising radiation, among British nuclear test veterans serving in the Pacific during the 1950s;

(8) what action has been taken to investigate cases of eye cataracts and eye surface burns, as conditions arising over-exposure to ionising radiation, among British nuclear test veterans serving in the Pacific during the 1950s;

(9) what action has been taken to investigate cases of varicose veins as a condition arising from over-exposure to ionising radiation among British nuclear test veterans serving in the Pacific during the 1950s;

(10) what action has been taken to investigate cases of redness, blistering, baldness, ulceration and scarring of the skin, as conditions arising from over-exposure to ionising radiation, among British nuclear test veterans serving in the Pacific during the 1950s.

Mr. Sainsbury

When the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) was commissioned to undertake its recent study, the conduct of that study was left as a matter for the professional judgment of the NRPB, in consultation with other experts, such as the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. The board decided to rely primarily on mortality as an indicator of health and also used the readily available cancer registration data. In choosing these reliable sources the NRPB recognised the impracticability of attempting to obtain comprehensive data about the wide range of other diseases, the records relating to which are much less complete. None the less, it was recognised from the outset that, if the findings showed cause for concern, other investigations might prove to be necessary.

In the event, the conclusion of the report is that participation has not had a detectable effect on the expectation of life of the participants nor on their total risk of developing cancer. This overall conclusion stands despite the observed higher incidence of certain leukaemias and multiple myelomas in the participants as opposed to the control group, not least because this higher incidence was more marked among participants not present at the time of a detonation.

The Government do not therefore accept that there is any justification for further investigation other than the follow-up of mortality and cancer registration data recommended by the NRPB to investigate the incidence of disorders referred to in the questions.

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in how many cases the service medical records of former military personnel who served in the Pacific during the British nuclear tests in the 1950s have been released to their general practitioners.

Mr. Sainsbury

General practitioners are not required to state the specific purpose for which such records are required; thus the information requested is not available.

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service men who took part in British nuclear tests in the 1950s have been consulted and examined by the National Radiological Protection Board as part of their report of the incidence of mortality and cancer in British nuclear test veterans.

Mr. Sainsbury

The mortality and cancer incidence information which was analysed by NRPB was obtained from records held by Office of Population, Censuses and Surveys (OPCS), National Health Service (NHS) central registers and other official records. Individual service men were neither consulted nor examined. As the report acknowledges, a valuable contribution to checks of the validity and completeness of the study was made by various groups and ex-service organisations who supplied lists of names of participants.

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the crew of ships which took part in the Monte Bello tests in 1952 were included in the National Radiological Protection Board report into the mortality and cancer incidence in United Kingdom participants in United Kingdom atmospheric nuclear weapon tests and experimental programmes; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Sainsbury

All the Royal Navy ships that participated in the nuclear test programme were identified and their crews included in the NRPB study. It was estimated that a 99 per cent. coverage of Royal Naval personnel had been achieved, as shown in table 5.5 of the NRPB report.

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action has been taken to investigate the complaints of aborigines at Wallatina station who claim that the Totem 1 blast in 1953 which took place at Emu field was the cause of mass sickness and fatalities; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Sainsbury

The evidence presented on behalf of Her Majesty's Government to the Australian Royal Commission, which included substantial new work on theoretical modelling of the path of the fallout, does not support the contention that harm could have been caused to aborigines at Wallatima by the Totem 1 explosion in 1953. The decision to embark on any further investigation is a matter for the Australian Government.

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what would be the estimated average mortality rate due to multiple myeloma for the British nuclear test veterans as investigated by the National Radiological Protection Board for the 10 years 1984 to 1994.

Mr. Sainsbury

In the study (on page 86, section 10) the NRPB estimates that during the 10-year period 1984 to 1994 about 30 deaths would be expected from leukaemia and multiple myeloma in the participants and a similar number in the controls, if the men experienced the normal national mortality and cancer rates in England and Wales. Of these 30 deaths, approximately one third are expected to be from multiple myeloma. Of course, some assumptions have been made in obtaining these figures and they are provisional estimates.

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to compensate fully British nuclear test veterans and their families who are suffering from, and have lost relatives due to, multiple myeloma and leukaemia, other than chronic lymphatic leukaemia, following the publication of the National Radiological Protection Board's investigation into the mortality and cancer incidence in United Kingdom participants in United Kingdom atmospheric nuclear weapon tests and experimental programmes; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Sainsbury

Former service men or their next-of-kin who believe that their health may have suffered as a result of participation in the United Kingdom nuclear test programme are already entitled to apply to the Department of Social Security for consideration of a war pension or gratuity. The decision concering the award is one for the Department of Social Security, but it is not necessary for the applicant to prove negligence, and the Department of Social Security will accept claims if it is satisfied that there is reliable evidence of reasonable doubt that the disability suffered is attributable to service.