Radiation Experiments (Hansard, 13 January 1997)

HC Deb 13 January 1997 vol 288 cc125-6W 125W

§ Mr. Matthew Taylor
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what follow-up tests his Department has conducted on the long-term effects of radiation experiments on volunteers at(a) Harwell and (b) Porton Down; [10206]
(2) if he will place in the Library copies of the consent forms signed by volunteers taking part in human radiation experiments at (a) Harwell and (b) Porton Down. [10208]

§ Mr. Soames
It is important to draw a distinction between studies involving minimal amounts of radioactive material used as a tracer and so-called radiation experiments in which individuals are exposed to high doses of radiation in order to assess the damage produced. All studies carried out by my Department, including those carried out on volunteers attending Porton Down, were in the former category. Consequently, no follow-up action was deemed necessary by Porton Down. Consent forms were not in use in the 1950s/early 1960s when the studies involving radio-labelled tracers were conducted at Porton Down.
Matters relating to Harwell are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade.

§ Mr. Taylor
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of the guidelines issued by his Department to(a) the Harwell medical ethics committee regarding radiation experiments on humans and (b) the Committee for the Safety of Human Experiments, the medical sub-committee of the Defence Scientific Advisory Council, and the independent ethics committee regarding radiation experiments on humans at Porton Down. [10209]

§ Mr. Soames
All studies involving volunteers at Porton Down are governed by the principles for ethical control of human experiments as stated in the Nuremburg code, the Helsinki declaration and the guidelines of the Royal College of Physicians. My Department does not issue guidelines to the independent ethics committee of experts who oversee the volunteer programme at Porton Down.126W Porton Down has not carried out any radiation experiments on humans. Work carried out in the 1950s and early 1960s involved the use of radio-labelled tracer materials in decontamination and medical evaluations and was subject to the normal ethical controls.
Matters relating to Harwell are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade.