§ Mr. LivingstoneTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence which scientific establishments are carrying out the research programme announced in July 1997 into the possible health effects of the combination of vaccines and NAPS tablets given to troops in the Gulf War to protect them against chemical and biological attack; when this work is expected to finish; when the results of this research are expected to be made public; and who has been appointed to the independent panel of experts to review the research. [33794]
§ Dr. ReidPreliminary work on the programme of research to investigate the possible health effects of the combination of vaccines and NAPS tablets given to troops in the Gulf War has commenced at CBD Porton Down. However, only some elements of the overall programme will be carried out at CBD. The National Institute for Biological Standards and Control have also been invited 313W to participate and it is intended that a number of other scientific and academic bodies will contribute to the research in due course.
It was originally estimated that the programme would take some two and a half years to complete. However, this was always subject to the advice of the Independent Panel which has been appointed to oversee the research. On the advice of the Independent Panel, additional work will now be carried out at the start of the programme to determine appropriate vaccine doses for use in animals in the subsequent studies. As a result, the programme as a whole is now expected to take some three and a half years to complete, although interim results will become available at various stages within this period. We expect that, subject to a number of factors, including Home Office approval for the necessary animal tests, it should be possible to publish results from the first phase of work at the end of 1998 or in early 1999.
The Independent Panel is chaired by Professor Harrison C. Spencer, Dean of The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The other members of the Panel are: Professor J. E. Banatvala, St. Thomas's Hospital, London; Professor P. Beverley, The Edward Jenner Institute for Vaccine Research; Dr. J. Bird, Burden Neurological Hospital; Dr. A. Boylston, Molecular Medicine Unit, St. James's Hospital, Leeds; Dr. P. Fawcett, Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Newcastle General Hospital; Professor A. Grossman, Department of Endocrinology, St. Bartholomew's Hospital; Professor M. Hooper, University of Sunderland; Dr. N. Jones, Royal British Legion, London; Professor S. Lightman, Department of Medicine, Bristol Royal Infirmary; Dr. C. Martyn, MRC Environmental Epidemiology Unit, Southampton; Dr. E. Miller, Communicable Diseases Surveillance Centre, Colindale; Dr. D. Ray, Centre for Mechanisms of Human Toxicity, University of Leicester; Professor Sedgwick, Wessex Neurological Centre, Southampton; Professor A. Silman, ARC Epidemiology Research Unit, Manchester University Medical School. Professor Hooper and Dr. Jones were nominated to the panel by Gulf veterans themselves acting through the Royal British Legion.
Dr. Geoffrey Schild, the Director of NIBSC, has also been invited to join the Panel, in view of his expertise in relation to vaccines. In order to avoid a conflict of interest, he will not be present at any discussions regarding NIBSC participation in the programme.