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Ministry of Defence

Answer

Mr. Swinney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how United Kingdom forces in the Balkans were warned to stay clear of areas in which depleted uranium ammunition had been expended; what precautions they were required to take if they were obliged to enter these areas; what monitoring of their physical welfare took place thereafter; and on what date such precautionary warnings and measures were first announced. [145136] Mr. Spellar: [holding answer 15 January 2001]: Specialist explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) troops should be aware of the risks presented by expended DU ammunition through routine training and instructions. EOD troops are most at risk from expended DU ammunition when clearing Armoured Fighting Vehicles. In these circumstances, they are required to wear inner cotton gloves, outer heavy PVC gloves, a Service respirator, a full NBC suit and a Thermoluminescent Dosimeter until the presence of DU can be positively discounted British forces first deployed to Bosnia in 1992. Non-specialist troops were not briefed about the risks of expended DU ammunition because there was no confirmation DU had been used there. In December 2000, NATO confirmed that small quantities of DU ammunition had been used during 1994 and 1995, mainly around Sarajevo. Although the risk to British forces of being exposed to expended DU ammunition in Bosnia is small, on 12 January 2001, arrangements were made for them to be briefed on the risks of DU. SFOR issued guidance for their forces on 14 January 2001. British forces first deployed to Macedonia on 7 December 1998 and to Kosovo on 12 June 1999. The Kosovo bombing campaign began on 24 March 1999. On 21 April 1999, HQ Land Command issued a Medical Administrative and Technical Instruction down the medical chains of command entitled "Kosovo--Depleted Uranium Hazard". On 9 June 1999, further advice on the DU risk was passed down the operational chain of command by the Permanent Joint Headquarters to HQ BRITFOR in Macedonia. This was disseminated to Brigade level by HQ BRITFOR on 10 June 1999. From June 1999, the Pre-deployment Training Directive for troops deploying to Kosovo specified DU as one of the topics on which troops should be briefed during their pre-deployment course. From July 1999, the Mounting Order issued to units deploying to Kosovo included the following briefing on DU: "a. Inside Kosovo/Bosnia you may encounter vehicles that have been destroyed or damaged by projectiles made from Depleted Uranium (DU). DU is only very slightly radioactive and is a chemical poison similar to lead. b. It will not be possible to tell visually if a vehicle has been struck by DU. If this is the case, a heavy toxic powder may be spread inside and outside the vehicle and its immediate surroundings, which may or may not be visible to the naked eye. DU is only hazardous if it is inhaled, eaten or enters the body through a cut or laceration. The radiation will not penetrate clothing of any kind. c. You are not to climb onto or into vehicles possibly damaged by fighter ground attack aircraft or tanks unless your duties require it. If you do, you should take the following precautions: (1) If practicable, wear NBC rubber or leather gloves and a cloth oro-nasal facelet (facemask). Full NBC IPE is not necessary. (2) Spend as little time as practicable on the task. (3) As soon as possible after completing the task, change your outer clothing and launder it before it is worn again (keeping facelet on while removing dust contaminated clothing). Wash your hands. Do not eat, drink or smoke until you have done this. d. If you believe that you may have been contaminated with DU, consult your Medical Officer. He/she will have been instructed to annotate your medical records and seek advice from the nearest Environmental Health Team in conjunction with Commander Medical. Urine analysis will confirm whether any contamination has occurred. e. It is stressed that this hazard is not comparable to that encountered on an NBC battlefield and is trivial compared with combat risks. Even if a DU fragment were to be inhaled or embedded in your body, by whatever means, the risk of you developing cancer over the next 50 years would only be very slightly increased." Although instructions are in place for all troops in theatre to be briefed on the risks of DU, contrary to the impression I gave in the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) on 30 November 2000, Official Report, column 727W, my Department is now aware that not all of them have actually been briefed. It has not been possible to establish how many troops have not been briefed. Furthermore, in August 2000, the pre-deployment course briefing on medical issues, including DU, was dropped because of pressure on the course programme and a perception that it duplicated training at units. Instructions to re-instate it were issued on 12 January 2001.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

145136; 362 c519-20W

Session

2000-01

Subjects

Ammunition Armed forces Health hazards Radioactive materials Balkans Depleted uranium

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk