§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the use of service personnel in radiation tests at the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down since 1966; over what period the tests were carried out; how many service personnel were used in the tests and if they were volunteers; what notice service personnel were given of the nature of the experiments and the risks involved; and what types of tests were carried out. [34010]
§ Mr. Arbuthnot[holding answer 21 June 1996]: No radiation tests have been conducted on service personnel at Porton Down. In the 1950s and early 1960s two types of studies were conducted which involved labelling materials with low-level radioactive tracers so that the behaviour of the material could be readily observed. Radio-labelling is a standard medical procedure.