§ Mr. FatchettTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 20 March,Official Report, columns 77–78, what reports his Department has received of children of ex-Porton Down service volunteers being born with a disability; and if he will make a statement. [19272]
§ Mr. SoamesThis is a matter for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Mr. John Chisholm to Mr. Derek Fatchett, dated 18 April 1995:
1. Your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking what reports his Department has received of children of ex-Porton Down Service volunteers being born with a disability has been passed to me as the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency to reply since this now includes the former Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment Agency.2. The Ministry of Defence has received no reports of any children of ex-Porton Down Service volunteers being born with disabilities.3. It is important to bear in mind that disabilities at birth occur in the general population and, whilst every such birth is regretted, there is no statistical evidence to indicate a higher level of birth defects in the children of Service families, including ex-Porton Down service volunteers, compared with the general population.