HL Deb 05 July 1996 vol 573 c124WA
The Countess of Mar

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What incidence of cancer has been recorded in military personnel involved in Operation Granby and in Ministry of Defence employees who handled equipment and materials during and after the conflict.

Earl Howe

Records currently indicate that 480 Gulf veterans have been diagnosed with cancer while still serving. Records for veterans who have left the services and for Ministry of Defence employees are not held centrally.

The Countess of Mar

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will contact Gulf veterans' organisations and legal advisers to establish the incidence of cancer in veterans.

Whether they intend to initiate research into the incidence of cancer in military personnel and Ministry of Defence employees; and, if so, whether they will involve research institutes with specialised epidemiological knowledge and interest in this area.

Earl Howe

The Medical Research Council has called for research proposals into all aspects of Gulf War illness and will consider any proposal relating to the incidence of cancer. The Ministry of Defence, in conjunction with the Office for National Statistics, is currently establishing arrangements to monitor the health records of Gulf veterans to ascertain the incidence of cancer among this group.