§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
To what establishment the daily morbidity reports compiled during Operation Granby were despatched, whether they are retained and, if they are, whether they would be made available to researchers investigating illness in members of Her Majesty's Armed Forces who served in the Gulf. [HL230]
§ Lord GilbertDuring Operation Granby, daily morbidity reports were sent from British units in the Gulf to the Chemical Defence Establishment at Porton Down, now known as the Chemical and Biological Defence (CBD) Sector of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. The intention was to collect data which would alert MoD in the event that a CBW attack occurred which was not detected by other means. The raw data from these reports were analysed at CBD and reported to MoD at regular intervals. CBD's reports and some of the raw data are held at CBD Porton Down. CBD found no evidence that any undetected CBW attack had occurred; copies of their reports will be made available to the study teams carrying out epidemiological research on behalf of the MoD into Gulf veterans' illnesses and can be provided to other bona fide research teams on request.
A separate morbidity reporting system, designed to detect outbreaks of infectious disease within the Army was also implemented. Reports were analysed by HQ 1 Armd Div in-theatre. Collated information relating to some Army units is still held by the MoD in hard copy. This information will also be made available to bona fide research teams.