HC Deb 07 February 1996 vol 271 cc244-6W
Mr. Simpson

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department last reviewed whether the Chemical Defence Establishment at Porton Down should stop its chemical warfare experiments on humans. [13665]

Mr. Arbuthnot

This is a matter for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive of DERA to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Alan Simpson, dated 7 February 1996

Your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking when his department last reviewed whether the Chemical Defence Establishment should stop its chemical warfare experiments on humans has been passed to me to reply as the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency which includes CBDE.

The role of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment is to carry out research to provide safe and effective protective measures to safeguard the lives of United Kingdom Armed Forces personnel in the event that chemical and biological weapons are used against them. The role played by the Service volunteer programme is essential in ensuring the equipment provided is effective and does not degrade the performance of military tasks. Service volunteers are involved in the evaluation of new protective equipment and operational procedures and in the development of medical countermeasures against the effects of biological and chemical warfare agents.

The use of human volunteers is kept constantly under review and people are only ever used where it is both necessary and safe to do so. In recent years there has been no requirement to carry out studies involving the use of live agent to test the efficacy of these physical and medical protective measures. Work in the past conducted at CBDE has involved the exposure of Service volunteers to small quantities of chemical warfare agents in order to assess the incapacitating effects of these small amounts.

I hope this information is helpful.

Mr. Simpson

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Chemical Defence Establishment at Porton Down carried out research into the long-term health effects of CS gas; and what were the results of this research. [13662]

Mr. Arbuthnot

This is a matter for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive of DERA to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Alan Simpson dated 7 February 1996

Your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking when the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment carried out research into the long-term health effects of CS gas; and what were the conclusions of this research has been passed to me to reply as the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency which includes CBDE.

In the early 1980s CBDE carried out limited studies to assess the long term health effects of exposure to CS gas. The results of these laboratory-based animal studies reinforced by generally available medical evidence suggests that there are no long term effects on people exposed to CS gas in the concentrations commonly employed.

I hope this information is helpful.

Mr. Simpson

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the Chemical Defence Estabishment at Porton Down produces an annual report or assessment of its programme of tests and studies using service volunteers(a) for its own internal use and (b) for use within the Ministry of Defence. [13664]

Mr. Arbuthnot

This is a matter for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive of DERA to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Alan Simpson, dated 7 February 1996

Your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking if the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment produces an annual report or assessment of its programme of tests and studies using service volunteers for its own internal use and for use within the Ministry of Defence has been passed to me to reply as the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency which includes CBDE.

The Independent Ethics Committee which reviews all of the work involving Service volunteers carried out at CBDE produces an annual report detailing the involvement of volunteers in study protocols. This report, which contains defence sensitive material, is circulated internally within CBDE and the Ministry of Defence.

I hope this information is helpful.

Mr. Simpson

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if information derived from the Chemical Defence Establishment's experiments with humans is shared with Canada and the United States of America under the provisions of the 1980 memorandum of understanding on chemical and biological defence. [13663]

Mr. Arbuthnot

Information arising from work involving the use of service volunteers in research programmes carried out at CBDE have been shared with the United States and Canada as part of the collaboration promoted by the memorandum of understanding in question.