HL Deb 01 November 1994 vol 558 c57WA
The Countess of Mar

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Which pesticides were used by British personnel to de-louse Iraqi prisoners of war during Operation Granby and whether suitable protective clothing was issued to the users of the pesticides.

Lord Henley

In the two weeks during which the prisoner of war enclosure at Quaisuma was operational, British Army Medical Service personnel treated some 50 Iraqi prisoners of war for lice infestation using a dusting powder containing 1 per cent. malathion. Because this powder is safe enough to be used on clothing and on the body, and as the low level of infestation among the Iraqi prisoners allowed each one to be treated individually without lengthy collective treatment, those applying it were not required to wear protective clothing.

Malathion is recommended in standard therapeutic textbooks as a treatment of choice for lice infestation and several preparations are commercially available in the United Kingdom, including body lotions and hair shampoos.