Nuclear Test Veterans (Hansard, 28 February 2000)

§ Dr. Moonie

I am pleased to report that work on the study into the incidence of multiple myeloma in the nuclear test veteran population is under way. The first meeting of the independent Oversight Committee took place on 8 November 1999, at which matters such as methodology, scope and timetable were agreed. An observer from my Department and another from the British Nuclear Test Veterans' Association were present. It was originally intended that the study should examine only the incidence of multiple myeloma. However, the Oversight Committee has recommended that, as the information will be available, the scope of the study should be extended to cover other causes of death and other forms of cancer. My Department accepts this recommendation.

The National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) have begun to gather the necessary data from military and other national records and the data collection phase is expected to complete by the middle of this year. Thereafter, the data will be validated and analysed. The NRPB report will then be peer reviewed and the findings published early next year in a suitable scientific journal. This is slightly later than was first envisaged and is due essentially to the NRPB's existing commitments and the time taken to constitute the Oversight Committee.