Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Lord Morris of Manchester (Labour). It was answered on Tuesday, 19 June 2007.

Gulf War Illnesses

Question: My Lords, can my noble friend—and I am grateful for his reply—say whether it remains the Government’s view, taking into account all recently published research internationally, that low-level exposure to sarin without any immediate or acute effect has no adverse health consequences in the longer term? Again, is he aware that Gulf War veteran Mr TE Walker, whose case I raised in a Question my noble friend answered on 19 March, has now died, having suffered a heart attack and then pneumonia after being told that his pension had been cut from the 100 per cent agreed by the Pensions Appeal Tribunal to only 40 per cent, leaving him, as he had told the MoD, ““financially ruined””? What do we tell the two children left orphaned in this deeply disturbing case?

Answer: My Lords, as my noble friend said, we and other nations, including the United States, have carried out considerable research into exposure to a number of agents that are potential causes for Gulf War syndrome, such as sarin. Those studies have to date not shown any causal link. We continue to carry out that research. Both the United States and United Kingdom are carrying out research not only into potential causes of Gulf War syndrome but, increasingly importantly, into methods and measures for rehabilitation. With regard to the case to which my noble friend refers, I do not think that it is appropriate in this forum to get into the details of individuals. However, as he knows, it is the policy of the Ministry of Defence regularly to reassess cases. That process can be instigated either by the recipient of a pension or by the Ministry of Defence itself.

Secondary information

Type: Oral question
Reference: 693 c87-8
Session: 2006-07
Oral question type: 1st Supplementary
Chamber / Committee: House of Lords chamber
Related items: Armed Forces: War Pensions
Wednesday, 12 December 2007
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Subjects: Chemical weapons Health hazards Iraq-Kuwait conflict War pensions Gulf War syndrome Veterans Sarin
Link: View this Oral question on www.publications.parliament.uk