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Gulf War: Veterans

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Morris, on securing a debate on this difficult subject, on which we all acknowledge he is an expert. As we all know, Gulf War syndrome refers to the complex of symptoms which particularly affects the veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf War at significantly excess rates. These symptoms are not explained by established medical diagnoses or standard laboratory tests, but typically include a combination of: memory and concentration problems, persistent headache, unexplained fatigue, widespread pain, and can also include chronic digestive difficulties, respiratory symptoms and skin rashes. Around 6,000 British service personnel, out of some 55,000 mobilised for the conflict, are still reported to be suffering from the symptoms of Gulf War syndrome. In 1998—as we heard from the noble Lord, Lord Morris, and the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Craig—the US Congress mandated the appointment of a public advisory panel of independent scientists and veterans to advise on federal research studies and programs to address the health consequences of the Gulf War. The panel was directed to evaluate the effectiveness of US government research in addressing central questions on the nature, causes and treatments of Gulf War-related illnesses. This committee published a report in November 2008, which we have heard about this afternoon. The report provides a comprehensive review of information and evidence on topics reviewed by the committee since its previous, interim report published in 2004, as well as additional information on topics considered in the 2004 report. In brief, the committee found that veterans who took pyridostigmine bromide—which was used by our soldiers and our allies as a protective measure against possible nerve gas exposure—for longer periods of time, have higher illness rates than veterans who took less PB. The report establishes that the widespread use of multiple types of pesticides and insect repellents—often, as we have heard, containing organophosphates—in the Gulf War theatre supports a consistent and compelling link of being associated with Gulf War illness; that veterans of the Gulf War have developed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at twice the rate of non-deployed veterans of the same era; and that veterans who were downwind from nerve agent releases resulting from weapons demolitions at Khamisiyah, Iraq, in March 1991 have been found to have twice the rate of death due to brain cancer as other veterans in theatre. Although studies of Gulf War veterans do not provide consistent evidence that exposure to oil fire smoke is a risk factor for Gulf War illness for most veterans, questions remain about effects for personnel located in close proximity to the burning wells for an extended period. Limited findings from epidemiologic studies indicate that higher-level exposures to smoke from the Kuwaiti oil-well fires may be associated with increased rates of asthma in Gulf War veterans, and that an association with other Gulf War symptoms cannot be ruled out. These are extremely serious, often sadly fatal, side effects our soldiers and veterans are still suffering from and will have to contend with for as long as they live. They come as a direct result of defending our country, we are for ever indebted to them; therefore it is the least we can do to investigate these illnesses fully and make the lives of these brave people as comfortable as we possibly can. I have some questions that I would like to put to the Minister. Will he inform the Grand Committee what, if any, purposeful research the Government have commissioned since the publication of the American Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses report in November 2008? It was published 18 months ago and surely now requires some proper answers. Can he also say whether Her Majesty’s Government have any immediate plans to conduct research into the health of veteran's children, and does he agree with me that there is still considerable scope for research into that particular issue? What consultations have the Government had with their US counterparts relating to the findings of their latest report? Will the Minister inform the Committee what consultations he has had with his ministerial colleagues relating to the findings of the latest report, and what assessment he has made of the cost of compensating those who are suffering illnesses symptomatic of Gulf War syndrome? What assessment has the Minister made of the possible health implications of prolonged exposure to Kuwaiti oil-well fires during the Gulf conflict? Finally, will he give the Committee the Government's assessment of the number of British Gulf war veterans who are said to be suffering from Gulf War syndrome? It is vital that assessments of claims made by veterans of the first Gulf War who have subsequently become ill should continue to be made on a case-by-case basis; and that where a causal link to service can be established, they should then be compensated. We on these Benches urge the Government to make a Statement without further delay, detailing the action that they will take in the light of the congressional report, since British veterans of the first Gulf War were exposed to the same agents that have been implicated in the US, and many have become ill. I look forward to the Minister's response.