§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the document relating to Gulf War illness and depleted uranium leaked to Gulf War veterans; and if he will make a statement. [63046]
§ Mr. Doug HendersonTwo unclassified documents, both containing references to depleted uranium (DU), are known to have been removed without authorisation from the MOD's Medical Assessment Programme (MAP) last month and have since received some publicity. The investigation into their removal is now a matter for the Ministry of Defence Police. In view of the considerable public concern raised by misinformed media reporting of the contents of these two documents, I am today formally releasing both of them and placing copies in the Library of the House.
In addition, I have asked my Department to collate the information which it possesses concerning mechanisms which could be used to test for the presence of uranium in the human body. I will publish this work shortly. Contrary to some media reports, which were based on a misreading of these two documents, the MOD is not 521W conducting testing in relation to the possible exposure of Gulf veterans to DU, secret or otherwise. However, as might be expected, we continue to consider all aspects of Gulf veterans' illnesses, including any developments concerning the various suggested relevant exposures, where DU is one issue among many.
§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to test Gulf War veterans for the effects of depleted uranium. [63036]
§ Mr. Doug Henderson[holding answer 8 December 1998]: Any Gulf veteran who is concerned that his or her health has been adversely affected by Service during the Gulf conflict, including possible exposure to depleted uranium (DU), is advised to seek a referral to the Ministry of Defence's Medical Assessment Programme (MAP) for a full medical assessment. During this assessment, MAP patients are asked by the examining MAP physician to provide detailed information about possible factors, including DU, to which they may have been exposed during the Gulf conflict.
The kidneys are the organs most likely to be affected by the presence of uranium and the standard battery of tests carried out as a matter of routine on MAP patients includes a baseline trawl of renal function, which in turn includes serum creatinine, urea and electrolytes, a urine test for protein and blood and an ultrasound abdominal scan. Such tests should indicate the presence of any kidney damage in patients, although such damage would not necessarily have been caused by the presence of DU. The standard MAP tests do not, however, currently include a specific test to detect the presence of DU. The veterans who have so far been examined by MAP physicians have not exhibited symptoms which, in the clinical judgment of the examining physician, have indicated a requirement for a specific referral to another agency or organisation for DU testing. If the examining physician at the MAP considered it clinically appropriate for a patient to be tested for the presence of uranium, the necessary arrangements would be made.
I have asked my Department to collate the information which it possesses concerning mechanisms which could be used to test for the presence of uranium in the human body. I will publish this work shortly. The MOD is well aware that a link has been suggested between possible exposure to DU and the illnesses being experienced by some Gulf veterans. However, this is only one of a number of factors which have been suggested as causes of Gulf veterans' illnesses and, pending further medical and scientific evidence, my Department is keeping an open mind on this issue.
Our plans for future activity in relation to Gulf veterans' illnesses, including as regards DU, will continue to be guided by the emerging medical and scientific evidence on this subject.
§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research he is undertaking on a relationship between Gulf War Syndrome and depleted uranium. [63064]
§ Mr. Doug HendersonThe Ministry of Defence is conducting a range of research into aspects of Gulf veterans' illnesses. However, none of these programmes is specifically aimed at investigating the relationship between possible exposure to depleted uranium (DU) and the illnesses being experienced by some Gulf veterans.522W The MOD is well aware that a link has been suggested between DU exposure and Gulf veterans' illnesses. However, this is only one of a number of factors which have been suggested as causes of Gulf veterans' illnesses and, pending further medical and scientific evidence, my Department is keeping an open mind on this issue. My Department would, of course, be very interested to see any new relevant information on this subject.
Any Gulf veteran who is concerned that his or her health has been adversely affected by Service during the Gulf conflict, including possible exposure to depleted uranium (DU), is entitled to seek a referral to the Gulf veterans' Medical Assessment Programme (MAP) for a full medical assessment.
§ Mr. Alasdair MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of the Medical Assessment Programme documents (reference MAP/102/22/1/Med pt 1)(a) DU Teleconference-Lt Col Graham, (b) DU Testing Protocol-Alan Casson, (c) Prime for 51 G EDTA-Dr R. Gabriel, (d) DU Information Pack-Alan Casson, (e) DU Testing of United Kingdom Gulf Veterans-Alan Casson, (f) Update-4 Sep 96-Lt Col Graham; what assessment the Medical Assessment Programme has made of the possible link between Gulf War Syndrome and depleted uranium poisoning; and if he will make a statement. [63306]
§ Mr. Doug Henderson[holding answer 10 December 1998]: The Ministry of Defence has already received a request from a member of the public for copies of the documents designated (a) to (e) in the hon. Member's question. This is currently being considered under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. When this consideration, which has now been extended to include document (f) in the hon. Member's question, is complete, I will write to the hon. Member to advise him of the outcome.
The MOD is well aware that a link has been suggested between possible exposure to depleted uranium (DU) and the illnesses being experienced by some Gulf veterans. However, this is only one of a number of factors which have been suggested as possible causes of Gulf veterans' illnesses and, pending further medical and scientific evidence, my Department is keeping an open mind on this issue. We would, of course, be very interested to see any new relevant information on this subject.