§ Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a list of the titles and dates of films held by the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down which recorded the establishment's trials with the chemical agent BZ in the 1960s. [6562]
§ Dr. MoonieThe following is a list of items from the archive at Porton Down which have been identified as relating to trials involving the incapacitating agent referred to as BZ. Some of these items are films and others are sound tracks only. The records are not dated and there may be other material in the archive concerning BZ which has not been identified or catalogued as BZ. These items listed are currently held by the Wiltshire police as part of their investigation into the Porton Down Volunteer programme.
935W
Identified as: Film/sound RF98 Sound REl7B Film 'BZ Trial' Sound Reel 4 Film Reel 5 Film Reel 6 Film Reel 7 Film Reel 8 Film Reel 9 Film Reel 11 Film Reel 12 Film Box Marked 'BZ Trial' 1Sound RE17C Sound RE17 Film RF98 Film Box Marked 'Jim Sound' 2Sound 1 Five sound recordings 2 Five relate to BZ recordings
§ Mr. KeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many MoD police officers have been involved in Wiltshire Constabulary inquiries into events at CBD Porton Down; what has been the cost to his Department; and if he will make a statement. [7376]
§ Dr. MoonieTwo Ministry of Defence Police Officers have been working with the Wiltshire Constabulary on Operation Antler, the inquiry into the Porton Down Service volunteer programme. The cost to date has been approximately £170,000 which includes salary and support costs.
In addition, one Royal Navy Rogulator, two Royal Military Policemen and two Royal Air Force Policemen have been working with the Wiltshire Constabulary on this inquiry at an approximate total cost of £143,000.
§ Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if a representative of the Porton Down Veterans Support Group will be invited to the seminar in October at the head office of the Medical Research Council to discuss the epidemiological study of service volunteers who took part in experiments at the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton Down. [6576]
§ Dr. MoonieYes.
§ Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates the independent Ethics Committee of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down, scrutinised the study which took place in August 2000 involving RAF volunteers at the Rapier Detachment Engagement Trainer at RAF Honington; and if he will place in the Library copies of the papers of the committee which relate to the discussion of this study. [6561]
§ Dr. MoonieThe protocol for the study at RAF Honington was reviewed and approved by the Independent CBD Ethics Committee during their 22nd meeting held on 4 September 1997.
The discussions of the Independent CBD Ethics Committee are undertaken in confidence and I am therefore withholding the release of the complete minutes under exemption 2 of the Code of Practice to Access to Government Information. I will, however, place the section of the minutes relevant to this trial in the Library of the House.
936W
§ Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of the reports produced by the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down(a) in 1972 entitled, "The effect of miosis on visual acuity in dim light", and (b) recording the results of an experiment in 1983 in which service personnel were exposed to sarin nerve gas via single fibre electromyography. [6574]
§ Dr. MoonieYes. I will also place in the Library of the House copies of two internal Porton Down papers that record the preliminary data and conclusions of the 1983 Study. The full results and final conclusions of this 1983 study have already been published entitled: Single fibre electromyographic changes in man after organophosphate exposure (Human and Experimental Toxicology 1996, 15, 367–75).
§ Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the protocol drawn up by the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down, to carry out the study in August 2000 involving RAF volunteers at the Rapier Detachment Engagement Trainer at RAF Honington. [6581]
§ Dr. MoonieYes.
§ Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the report produced by the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down in 1973 entitled "A comparative study of central visual field changes induced by GB vapour and physostigmine salicylate eyedrops". [6563]
§ Dr. MoonieYes.
§ Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the report arising out of the study in August 2000 involving RAF volunteers at the Rapier Detachment Engagement Trainer at RAF Honington organised by the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down. [6580]
§ Dr. MoonieThe report in question contains operational information. I am therefore withholding its release under exemption 1(a) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
§ Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates staff of his Department held meetings with the Medical Research Council prior to 21 November 2000 to discuss seeking advice from the Council on the feasibility of an epidemiological study into volunteers who took part in experiments at the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down. [6577]
§ Dr. MoonieNo such meetings were held with the Medical Research Council prior to 21 November 2000.
§ Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason the War Pension Agency started on 19 February to identify as separate records claims for war pensions from service personnel who took part in experiments at the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down. [6564]
§ Dr. MoonieIn order to improve available management information the War Pensions Agency decided to record separately War Pension claims from 937W ex-Service personnel who participated in trials at the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down.
§ Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department will transfer films from the archives of the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton Down, to the Imperial War Museum. [6575]
§ Dr. MoonieI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 9 May 2001,Official Report, column 196W.