§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cases of leukaemia, other than chronic lympocytic leukaemia, and of multiple myeloma have been diagnosed amongst veterans of British nuclear tests since the publication of the National Radiological Protection Board report in 1988.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe information requested is not held by the Ministry of Defence and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to review the claims for compensation by veterans of British nuclear tests.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe Government's policy is based on the National Radiological Protection Board's (NRPB) report, published in January 1988, which did not establish a causal link between participation in the test programme and cancer.
A follow-up study by the NRPB, to include data accumulated since 1 Janaury 1984—the cut-off date of the previous study, has been commissioned by the Government and is due to be published next year.
We have no plans to review the nuclear test veterans' compensation claims.
§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Ministry of Defence first received representations from the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association; what it has done to assist the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association since that time; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe Ministry of Defence first received representations from the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association in 1983. Subsequent dealings with the association have involved correspondence and a meeting in which Ministers and officials heard the Association's case and explained the Government's view of it.
§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met representatives from the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe British Nuclear Test Veterans Association met my noble Friend the then Minister of State for Defence Procurement on 4 July 1989.