§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many meetings officials from the Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Unit have held with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs since 1 January, indicating the date and location of each meeting and the names of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs officials at each meeting. [93940]
§ Mr. SpellarIn the period 1 January 1999 to 15 October 1999, officials from the MOD's Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Unit met US Department of Veterans Affairs officials on the dates and at the locations shown in the table:
Location 21 January Washington DC 26 February Washington DC 2-4 March Washington DC 14 May Washington DC 4-8 and 14 October Washington DC and Baltimore MD I am withholding the names of the US Department of Veterans Affairs officials who attended the meetings above in accordance with Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information (which relates to international relations) and Exemption 12 (which relates to privacy of an individual).
In addition to the above, a member of the Gulf Veterans Illnesses Unit (GVIU) based in Washington DC maintains continuous dialogue with United States Department of Veterans Affairs colleagues.
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the formal title of the agreement announced on 28 April by his Department between Britain and the United States of America to share information on Gulf veterans' illnesses research; what progress has so far been made under the agreement; how many working groups and committees will operate under this agreement; on what dates each of these working groups and committees so far have met; on what dates in 1999 each of these working groups and committees are scheduled to meet; which United States Government Departments and organisations are taking part in this agreement; and which other United Kingdom Departments and organisations will take part in the agreement; [93930]
(2) how many agreements on the subject of Gulf veterans' illnesses have existed between Britain and United States of America since 1 May 1997; what are the names of each of these agreements; when each agreement was signed; and what is the purpose of each agreement. [94009]
698W
§ Mr. SpellarThe agreement announced on 28 April is to be formalised by extending the scope of the UK-US Master Information Exchange Memorandum of Understanding (MIEM). The new agreement is an Information Exchange Annex entitled: "UK-US Master Information Exchange Memorandum of Understanding Annex Concerning Persian Gulf Veterans Health Research". It is not envisaged that the agreement will lead to the formation of new working groups or committees. Work has been and will continue to he taken forward by arrangements already in place. The main participants will be the UK Ministry of Defence, the US Department of Defense, the US Department of Veterans Affairs and the US Department of Health and Human Services. Non-governmental research institutes, academic departments, other organisations and individuals will be involved as appropriate.
Prior to this agreement there were no formal agreements between the US and UK governments on Gulf veterans' illnesses. However, there has been a close history of co-operation between the two governments on Gulf veterans' illnesses matters.
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many meetings officials from the Ministry of Defence's Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Unit have held with the United States Department of Defense since 1 January, indicating the date and location of each meeting and the names of the United States Department of Defense officials at each meeting. [93941]
§ Mr. SpellarIn the period 1 January 1999 to 15 October 1999, officials from the MOD's Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Unit met US Department of Defense officials on the dates and at the locations shown in the table:
Date(s) Location 21 January Washington DC 26 February Washington DC 2-4 March Washington DC 29-30 March London 14 May Washington DC 4-14 October Washington DC and San Diego CA I am withholding the names of the US Department of Defense officials who attended the meetings above in accordance with Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information (which relates to international relations) and Exemption 12 (which relates to privacy of an individual).
In addition to the above, a member of the Gulf Veterans Illnesses Unit (GVIU) based in Washington DC maintains continuous dialogue with United States Department of Defense colleagues.
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many United States(a) Government committees, (b) boards and (c) working groups relating to the issue of Gulf veterans' illnesses his Department's representatives have sat since 1 May 1997; and if he will list the official titles of each of these committees, boards and working groups and the United States Departments to which each committee, board and working group belongs. [93988]
699W
§ Mr. SpellarThe information requested is provided in the following table:
Title of US Government committee, board or working group US Department representation Persian Gulf Veterans Co-ordinating Board (PGVCB) Research Working Group, PGVCB Clinical Working Group and PGVCB Benefits Working Group PGVCB is an inter-departmental board comprising Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Health and Human Service The Center for Disease Control Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Conference Planning Committee Department of Health and Human Services Planning Committee meeting for the Military Medicine Conference on Post-conflict Illnesses Department of Defense Planning Committee Meeting for the Principal Investigators' conference PGVCB is an inter-departmental board Conference comprising Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Health and Human Services The Armed Forces Epidemiology Board Department of Defense Board
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence on which dates the Minister of State for the Armed Forces visited the United States of America this year to investigate Gulf veterans' illnesses research; how many meetings he held with members and officials of the United States Government during this visit; and if he will list the dates and locations of each meeting and the names and Departments of the United States members and officials at each meeting. [93990]
§ Mr. SpellarOn 26 February 1999, my predecessor as Minister of State for the Armed Forces, my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, North (Mr. Henderson) attended a meeting on Gulf veterans' illnesses with the Senior Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs who was assisted by senior briefing officials from various US Departments. The meeting was held in the Old Executive Office Building, Washington DC. My predecessor also met the Deputy Secretary of Defense on 1 March.
I am withholding the names of the US officials who attended the meetings above in accordance with Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information (which relates to international relations) and Exemption 12 (which relates to privacy of an individual).
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the co-operation between the Gulf Veterans' Medical Assessment Programme of his Department and the US Department of Defense's Comprehensive Clinical Evaluation Programme; how many meetings the two units have held since 1 January; and if he will indicate the dates and locations of each meeting. [93989]
§ Mr. SpellarMy Department's Gulf Veterans' Medical Assessment Programme was established in July 1993 to examine UK Gulf veterans who were concerned that their health had been adversely affected by service700W in the 1990–91 Gulf conflict. Although since 1 January officials from the Medical Assessment Programme have attended conferences at which representatives from the Comprehensive Clinical Evaluation Programme were present, there have been no formal meetings between representatives of the two organisations. The Head of the MOD's Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Unit attended a meeting at the Comprehensive Clinical Evaluation Programme, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington DC on 7 October 1999.