Written question asked by Lord Morris of Manchester (Labour), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Astor of Hever (Conservative) on Tuesday, 7 December 2010.

Gulf War Illnesses

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many servicemen and servicewomen deployed in the Gulf War in 1990–91 were given pyridostigmine bromide.

Answer: Some 53,400 personnel were deployed to the Gulf War in 1990-91. Personnel were given a pre-treatment regime of nerve agent pre-treatment sets (NAPS) tablets. Each tablet contained 30 milligrams of pyridostigmine bromide to be taken orally every eight hours. The tablets were self-administered on command. Further information can be obtained from the paper published by the Ministry of Defence on 28 October 1997 entitled Background to the use of Medical Countermeasures to Protect British Forces during the Gulf War (Operation Granby), copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 4449; 723 c36-7WA
Session: 2010-12
Subjects: Armed forces Chemical weapons Iraq-Kuwait conflict Preventive medicine Pyridostigmine bromide
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk