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Written question asked by Andrew Miller (Labour) on Tuesday, 17 July 2012, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 3 September 2012. It was answered by Anne Milton (Conservative) on Tuesday, 4 September 2012 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence. Department of Health was asked to reply.

Veterans: Radiation Exposure

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2012, Official Report, column 415W, on veterans: radiation exposure, from what source the data that was used in the preparation of the National Radiological Protection Board reports relating to the effects of radiation on veterans of the British Nuclear tests 1952-1962 originated.

[118318]

Answer

I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department of Health.

To date, three analyses of the United Kingdom Participants in the UK Atmospheric Nuclear Weapon Tests and Experimental programmes (1952-1967) have been undertaken and published. The most recent analyses considered follow-up through to 1999.

Three full analysis reports as well as peer-reviewed scientific papers have been published and are available. These include details of the scope of the study and the work that was undertaken to collate and assess information.

The 2004 summary paper1 and the 1988 National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) report2 provide the most useful access points.

The Health Protection Agency website also provides information relating to these studies in the form of Frequently Asked Questions3 and includes a list of references to NRPB reports and papers.

Data used for the work reported in the NRPB reports have been collated in an epidemiological database. Data were collated—by the researchers—from multiple sources including the Ministry of Defence (and Atomic Weapons Establishment), national registries and individuals.

In addition to the three reported epidemiological analyses, a small extract of database information, including some that would have been extracted from the source data, was also used in the study of Cataract and Stable Chromosome Aberrations in Participants in the UK Nuclear Weapons Testing Programme4.

Most source data were provided to NRPB during the period of the first analysis project, 1983-88. Small amounts of additional information were obtained from similar sources during the periods of subsequent analysis projects. Each analysis report provides information about the work undertaken.1 Epidemiological studies of UK test veterans: I General Description. Journal of Radiological Protection 24 199-217; Kendall G M, Muirhead C R, Darby S C, Doll R, Arnold L, O'Hagan J A. Abstract available at:

http://stacks.iop.org/0952-4746/24/1992 Mortality and cancer incidence in UK participants in UK atmospheric nuclear weapon tests and experimental programmes. Chilton, NRPB-R214 (London, HMSO). Darby S C, Kendall G M, Fell T P, O'Hagan J A, Muirhead C R, Ennis J R, Ball A M, Dennis J A and Doll R.3www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/Radiation/UnderstandingRadiation/UnderstandingRadiationTopics/RadiationEpidemiology/NuclearWeaponsTestParticipantsStudy/radnuclearweaponstestparticipantsstudyFAQ/4 Phelps-Brown N A, Natarajan A T, Darroudi F, Cox R, Little M P and Edwards A A. Cataract and Stable Chromosome Aberrations in Participants in the UK Nuclear Weapons Testing Programme. March 1997. NRPB Biomedical Effects Department Technical Memorandum 1(97).

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
118318; 549 cc305-6W
Session
2012-13
Related items
Veterans: Radiation Exposure
Friday, 13 July 2012
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects
Radiation exposure Veterans
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk