§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if studies undertaken by the National Radiological Protection Board on the morbidity rate of service personnel involved in nuclear tests on Christmas Island have been subject to independent review; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe NRPB/Imperial Cancer Research Fund study covered mortality and cancer incidence in United Kingdom participants in nuclear tests in both Australia and Christmas Island. It was based on mortality rather than morbidity rates, though incomplete data on cancer incidence (morbidity plus mortality) for the limited period over which United Kingdom records exist were not at variance with the main conclusions. The report was subject to stringent peer review before it was accepted for publication in theBritish Medical Journal.
§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make available to hon. Members the records of the environmental monitoring studies relating to British nuclear tests.
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§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe Ministry of Defence holds extensive records of raw environmental monitoring data. Some records of environmental monitoring were published in 1985 by the Australian royal commission into United Kingdom nuclear tests in Australia. Further monitoring around Maralinga was carried out by the Australian technical advisory group (TAG) which reported in November 1990. We have no plans to prepare and publish a compilation of these extensive data.
§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what unpublished records of nuclear tests are held by his Department; and what plans he has to publish them.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe MOD holds a very large amount of unpublished, classified information on the United Kingdom nuclear tests. This is reviewed for possible release to the Public Record Office 30 years after creation, as is the practice for all other classified MOD reports. Decisions on publication are based soley on consideration of national security.
There are no plans to review and publish all these reports though all available information on exposures of test participants to ionising radiation has been released to NRPB and was analysed in their report published in 1985.
§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements have existed for veterans of British nuclear tests to undergo medical examination.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonDuring their service, test participants would have had access to medical examination whenever it was required. Civilian test veterans, including ex-service personnel, would no doubt seek advice from their general practitioner when appropriate.
§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what published records for which his Department is responsible are available of previous nuclear tests; where they are held; and when were they published.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonRecords of previous nuclear tests, compiled for the Australian royal commission into United Kingdom nuclear tests in 1985, are at the Public Record Office at Kew, class description DEFE 16. Other documents are lodged in the British Library. A comprehensive list of such documents could not be compiled without disproportionate cost.
§ Mr McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to arrange for the medical examination of the children and grandchildren of British nuclear test veterans; whether such tests have been carried out; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThere are no current plans to arrange for the medical examination of the children and grandchildren of British participants in the nuclear test programme, nor have such tests been carried out in the past.