§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
What health and safety category has been allocated to materials using depleted uranium technology; what is the relevant EU legislation; and whether they will place in the Library of the House of Lords a copy of the health and safety regulations issued to civilian and military personnel concerning the proper use, handling and transportation of DU munitions and other materials in the United Kingdom. [HL432]
§ Lord GilbertUnder the United Nations system of classification for dangerous goods, depleted uranium falls into Class 7, radioactive, as a material of low specific activity. The most relevant piece of EU legislation is Council Directive 80/836/Euratom, as amended by 84/467/Euratom, laying down basic safety standards for the protection of workers and the general public against the dangers arising from ionising radiation. This EU legislation was largely implemented in the UK by the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985, a copy of which was placed in the Library of each House in that year. Other legislation contributed to full implementation of the Directive. A revised Directive, Directive 96/29 Euratom, which will repeal those of 1980 and 1984 with effect from 13 May 2000, was adopted on 13 May 1996. The Health and Safety Commission has recently agreed to the publication of a Consultative Document containing proposals for revising the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985. Other relevant domestic legislation will be amended or augmented as necessary.
68WADirective 80/1107/EEC on the protection of workers from risks related to exposure to chemical, physical and biological agents at work is also relevant. This Directive is implemented in Great Britain in part by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1994. Because of its chemical toxicity, depleted uranium is subject to the provisions of these regulations as a substance hazardous to health.
With regard to the safety advice issued within MoD concerning the safe handling and use of depleted uranium munitions, I refer the noble Countess to the Answer I gave in my letter of 2 February, subsequently published in the Official Report on 17 February, cols. 17–22. In addition, I have made arrangements to have placed in the Libraries of both Houses copies of Joint Service Publication 392, Instructions for Radiological Protection. Chapter 48 deals with radiological protection arrangements for uranium.
§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether any British troops were exposed to any of the products of combustion from depleted uranium (DU) ammunition from friendly fire; contact with enemy tanks, other vehicles or equipment damaged by DU munitions; or other contamination created by disturbance of sand by atmospheric conditions and troop vehicle movements; and, if they were, what measures they are taking to monitor their health status. [HL473]
§ Lord GilbertSome British Service personnel may have come into contact with the products of combustion of depleted uranium during, or immediately following, the Gulf conflict. No specific measures are being taken to monitor their health, although some of them may have attended the MoD's Medical Assessment Programme, MAP. None of those veterans who have so far been examined by the MAP has to my knowledge displayed any symptoms consistent with exposure to depleted uranium.
A very small number of British troops, who expressed concern that they might have inhaled DU dust during training in the Gulf before the start of hostilities, were subjected to Whole Body Monitoring in February 1991 by the Defence Radiological Protection Services, DRPS, at the Institute of Naval Medicine. This process failed to detect any DU contamination in these individuals.