HC Deb 17 July 2003 vol 409 cc482-3W
Mr. Dalyell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his letter D/US of S/IC 3139/03/6, what the most recent results of his longitudinal studies into tracking Gulf War illnesses are. [126268]

Mr. Caplin

As part of our portfolio of research into the ill-health suffered by some United Kingdom veterans of the 1990–91 Gulf Conflict, we funded a long term study of the changing health over a three-year period of a cohort of veterans of that conflict. The study is complete and the results are to be published in a scientific journal following peer-review. In May, we announced plans for research into the physical and psychological health of those who deployed to the Middle East on Operation Telic on 7 May 2003,Official Report, columns 34–36WS. This includes initiating a longitudinal study of veterans, the results of which will be published in the peer reviewed scientific literature when available.