§ Mr. AingerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list(a) the dates on which, (b) the locations where and (c) the units which during the Gulf war were ordered to take nerve agent pre-treatment set tablets because of an assessed threat of possible chemical agent attack. [9619]
§ Mr. SoamesDuring the conduct of Operation Granby, which ran from 9 August 1990 to 11 April 1991, the assessed threat of chemical weapon attack in the theatre of operations was regarded as sufficiently high to necessitate the issuing of orders for nerve agent pre-treatment, set tablets to be taken during the period from 18 January 1991, following the start of the air war, to 1 March 1991, when hostilities ceased. The orders applied to all units and personnel in, or deploying into, theatre.
§ Mr. AingerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many volunteer reservists served with the Royal Air Force in the Gulf war; and how many of them have notified his Department that they are suffering from the condition known as Gulf war syndrome. [9620]
§ Mr. SoamesRecords indicate that a total of 286 Royal Auxiliary Air Force and Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve personnel served with the Royal Air Force during Operation Granby, of whom approximately 140 deployed to the Gulf theatre. Of those Gulf veterans who have notified my Department of health concerns which they attribute to service in the Gulf, four individuals have indicated that they served with the RAF as reservists.