§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence when chemical weapons detectors were triggered during the Gulf war; and what is his Department's assessment of this situation.
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§ Mr. SoamesChemical weapons detectors were triggered during the Gulf war on a number of occasions but records of individual incidents are not held centrally. We are also aware that there were times when detectors alarmed as a result of operator error; on these occasions, in particular, it is likely that no report would have been made to higher formation. In consequence, and given that detectors were widely deployed both on the ground and at sea, it is impossible to answer a general question of this nature with any degree of accuracy.
Apart from those occasions attributed to obvious operator error, each chemical alarm would have been followed up by NBC reconnaissance to confirm the presence of chemical agent or otherwise. Since at no time was chemical agent detected during such follow-up operations it is assessed that chemical agent was not used for Operation Granby against United Kingdom forces.
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many patients have been seen by his Department's appointed doctor concerning problems related to Operation Granby.
§ Mr. SoamesTo date, 67 individual personnel have been examined by an armed forces consultant under the Gulf medical assessment programme, some on more than one occasion. All have been found to be suffering from identifiable complaints, none of which is peculiar to service in the Gulf. From January 1995, the rate of new examinations will be increased and efforts made to reduce the high proportion of patients not attending for pre-booked appointments.
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether non-medical personnel were permitted to order members of the British armed forces in the Gulf war to take vaccinations.
§ Mr. SoamesAll vaccinations were offered to service personnel deployed to the Gulf on the basis of voluntary informed consent.
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what grounds his Department considered it necessary to vaccinate members of the armed forces in the Gulf war against plague and not botulism toxoid.
§ Mr. SoamesDetails of specific medical countermeasures employed by British forces against potential biological warfare threat during Operation Granby remain classified.
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what monitoring was used by his Department in, and during, the Gulf war for troops who had been vaccinated.
§ Mr. SoamesAll aspects of the health of service personnel are monitored, in peace and war, as a matter of routine. As all the vaccines which were offered to Gulf war personnel are routinely used in the civilian world, and were administered in accordance with normal clinical practice, there were no grounds for special additional monitoring of those troops who had been vaccinated.