HC Deb 17 January 2002 vol 378 c408W
Mr. Weir

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will grant the funds necessary to finance(a) blood and (b) saliva tests for radiation pioneered by Dundee university. [28058]

Dr. Moonie

The Ministry of Defence has been approached in the past to grant funds to Dundee university for such studies into the possible radiation exposure of nuclear test veterans. We have declined to do so because there are reservations about the capabilities of the proposed techniques for estimating historic radiation doses. Other studies using these techniques have found them to be inconclusive when there is a considerable time lapse since exposure, and where the exposure is low. These constraints were found to be particularly so in an age group typical of British nuclear test veterans.