HL Deb 09 February 2004 vol 656 cc129-30WA
Lord Morris of Manchester

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When Ministers were first made aware of the report dated 22 September 2001 by Lieutenant-Colonel Graham Howe, of the British Forces Health Service in Germany, on Lance Corporal Alexander Izett's previously unexplained illnesses after receiving multiple vaccinations for his intended deployment to the Gulf for the 1990–91 conflict. [HL979]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach)

I refer my noble friend to my Written Answers of 26 January 2004 (Official Report col. WA 10) and 28 January 2004, (Official Report, col. WA 43). The medical report in question was requested in order to assist with assessment of an individual war pensions claim and was specific to that case. Ministers are not involved in the determination of individual claims and were not, therefore, made aware of this report until it was first raised by the media on 12 January 2004.