HL Deb 22 July 2004 vol 664 c73WA
Lord Morris of Manchester

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their current estimate of the number of British troops who could have been exposed to fall-out from the destruction by United States forces of the stockpile of Iraqi chemical weapons at Khamisiyah in Southern Iraq in March 1991; and how this compares with previous estimates given to Parliament. [HL3811]

Lord Bach

As I stated in my Answer of 25 March 2004 (Official Report, col. WA 112) the US modelling work estimated that the number of British troops who could have been exposed to the demolitions of chemical weapons at Khamisiyah is estimated at 9,000.

The US Government Accounting Office (GAO) report published in June suggested that this modelling was flawed and that all troops in theatre could have been exposed to fall-out from the destruction of these weapons.

I also refer my noble friend to the answer I gave him on 6 July (Official Report, col. WA 74).