§ Dr. PalmerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the latest figures are for deaths of Gulf veterans, and among the control group. [5608]
§ Dr. MooniePeer reviewed scientific data comparing the mortality of UK Gulf veterans with an era group of service personnel who did not deploy to the Gulf were published for the first time inThe Lancet on 1 July 2000. Updates to these figures were provided by the Ministry of Defence to the House on 20 July 2000, Official Report, columns 247–49W, and 22 January 2001, Official Report, columns 414–16W. The MOD has undertaken to continue to monitor the mortality of both Gulf veterans and the era group and will publish updated figures on a regular basis. The figures as at 30 June 2001 are shown in the table.
Overall, in the period 1 April 1991 to 30 June 2001 the mortality of UK Gulf veterans was no different from that of the control group. The number of Gulf veterans dying from disease related causes is rather less than the control group, whereas the number of Gulf veterans dying of external causes is rather higher than for the control group. The MOD will conduct a more detailed analysis of accidental deaths, to establish where there are any underlying trends that might help explain this.
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Deaths to UK Gulf veterans1 1 April 1991–30 June 2001 Causes (coded to ICD-9)2 ICD chapter Cause of death Gulf Era Mortality rate ratio Accidents due to submersion/suffocation/foreign bodies 16 6 2.65 Other accidents 31 27 1.14 Late effects of accident/injury 0 2 0.00 Suicide and injury undetermined whether accidental 88 84 1.04 Homicide 5 4 1.24 Injury resulting from the operations of war 3 4 0.75 Other deaths for which coded cause data are not yet available 9 18 — Overseas deaths for which cause data are not available 2 3 — 1 Service and ex-service personnel only 2 World Health Organisation's International Classification of Diseases 9th revision 1977