Written question asked by Countess of Mar (Crossbench), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Baroness Taylor of Bolton (Labour) on Tuesday, 13 January 2009.

Gulf War Illnesses

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Answer by Lord Tunnicliffe on 9 December (Official Report, House of Lords, col. 258), why it is necessary to review and peer-review the Department of Veterans' Affairs' findings on Gulf War Illness and the Health of Gulf War Veterans when the report contains 68 pages with 1,840 references in peer-reviewed journals.

Answer: It is standard practice to peer-review all new scientific findings. Although the US Research Advisory Committee report is a review of published research it has come to its own conclusions vis-à-vis this research. The US Department of Veterans Affairs has therefore decided to ask the Institute of Medicine to review the report. Appointment of experts is a matter for the institute. We will await the outcome of this process before making any comments on the report. Lord Tunnicliffe was referring to the complex medical and scientific issues relating to Gulf veterans' illnesses and the differing scientific views on this matter that are still formulating some 17 years after the end of the 1990-91 Gulf conflict.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 288; 706 c134-5WA
Session: 2008-09
Related items: Gulf War Illnesses
Tuesday, 9 December 2008
Oral questions
House of Lords; Gulf War Illnesses
Tuesday, 9 December 2008
Oral answers to questions
House of Lords
Subjects: Health hazards Iraq-Kuwait conflict Research USA Gulf War syndrome US Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Veterans
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk