I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave on 28 April 2026. The records exercise is nearing completion, and I shall update the House in due course.

In parallel, as part of wider work, the number of historic nuclear testing records that are now publicly accessible having been transferred to the National Archives from the Merlin database is over 28,000.

The records exercise is nearing completion, and I shall update the House in due course. In parallel, as part of wider work, over 19,300 historic nuclear testing records are now publicly accessible having been transferred to the National Archives from the Merlin database.

The Government is deeply grateful to all those who participated in the UK nuclear testing programme. We recognise their service and the huge contribution they made to the UK’s security. We remain committed to listening to their concerns and are working collaboratively to address them.

I reiterated the government’s approach on working with the nuclear test veterans community in the debate in the House on 25 March and made a commitment to undertake work to fully understand the implications of the 2014 report and its handling, and to take action if necessary.

This Government has reset the relationship with nuclear test veterans and the organisations that support them. We remain committed to listening to their concerns and working collaboratively to address them. The Ministry of Defence is looking at what information the Department holds regarding nuclear test veterans' medical records, and the scope of that exercise was set out in the Written Ministerial Statement on 30 June 2025. There are no plans to alter that scope and we will update the House when we are in a position to share findings.

NHS England publishes waiting time data from referral to being informed of a cancer diagnosis or having it ruled out for brain and central nervous system. This is the 28-day Faster Diagnosis Standard. This includes the waiting time data for patients in Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board and in England.

This data is publicly available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancer-waiting-times/

This Government has no current plans to develop a specific compensation scheme for Nuclear Test Veterans or their families, including those who took part in sampling missions through Soviet mushroom clouds in 1961 and 1962.

Service personnel and Veterans who believe they were negatively impacted by their service can apply for compensation through the existing War Pensions Scheme (WPS). The WPS is a no-fault scheme for Service personnel disabled or killed due to injury or illness caused or worsened by service before April 6, 2005. There is no time limit for claiming, however if a claim is made more than seven years after termination of service, the claimant is granted the benefit of doubt when there is uncertainty about whether the disablement is linked to or worsened by their service. Factors such as being on operations or in a hazardous environment can support a service-related claim. Historical records, including medical records, will be reviewed to establish a causal link to service for Veterans seeking compensation.

This Government is resetting the relationship with nuclear test veterans and those that support them, and we remain committed to listening to their concerns and working collaboratively to address them.

As of 30 June 2025, officials have reviewed over 43,000 files, including files from the Merlin Database, as part of the exercise that is looking at points raised with me about some Nuclear Test Veterans' medical records.

I will update the House when we are in a position to share the findings of the exercise.

More information can be found in my statement to the House here: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-06-30/hcws748

This Government continues to celebrate the stories of our nuclear veterans. Most recently the Universities of South Wales and Liverpool led a Government-funded oral history project which was published in early July.

This Government has reset the relationship with Nuclear Test Veterans and the organisations that support them, and we remain committed to listening to their concerns and working collaboratively to address them.

As at 30 June 2025, officials had reviewed over 43,000 files, including files from the Merlin Database, as part of the exercise that is looking at concerns raised with me about some Nuclear Test Veterans’ medical records. I will update the House when we are in a position to share the findings of the exercise.

This Government continues to celebrate the stories of our Nuclear Test Veterans. Most recently, the Universities of South Wales and Liverpool led a government-funded oral history project which was published in early July.

In 2024, the eligibility criteria for the Nuclear Test Medal (NTM) were expanded to include UK personnel who actively participated in all US atmospheric tests. Further requests for the expansion of the NTM eligibility criteria may be considered, and any formal proposal to do so would need to be endorsed by the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals (HD Committee) and approved by His Majesty The King.

This Government has reset the relationship with Nuclear Test Veterans and the organisations that support them, and we remain committed to listening to their concerns and working collaboratively to address them.

As at 30 June 2025, officials had reviewed over 43,000 files, including files from the Merlin Database, as part of the exercise that is looking at concerns raised with me about some Nuclear Test Veterans’ medical records. I will update the House when we are in a position to share the findings of the exercise.

This Government continues to celebrate the stories of our Nuclear Test Veterans. Most recently, the Universities of South Wales and Liverpool led a government-funded oral history project which was published in early July.

In 2024, the eligibility criteria for the Nuclear Test Medal (NTM) were expanded to include UK personnel who actively participated in all US atmospheric tests. Further requests for the expansion of the NTM eligibility criteria may be considered, and any formal proposal to do so would need to be endorsed by the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals (HD Committee) and approved by His Majesty The King.

This Government has reset the relationship with nuclear test veterans and the organisations that support them, and we remain committed to listening to their concerns and working collaboratively to address them.

As of 30 June 2025, officials have reviewed over 43,000 files, including files from the Merlin Database, as part of the exercise that is looking at concerns raised with me about some Nuclear Test Veterans’ medical records. I will update the House when we are in a position to share the findings of the exercise.

This Government continues to celebrate the stories of our nuclear veterans. Most recently the Universities of South Wales and Liverpool led a government-funded oral history project which was published in early July.

It would not be appropriate for me to comment specifically on Royal receptions, which are matters for The Royal Household.

Teams from across the Ministry of Defence are involved in the Nuclear Test Veterans records exercise, and have reviewed so far over 43,000 files. The files in scope of the records exercise are primarily being reviewed by each of the Single Service Historic Branches and the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE). The release of the Merlin database to the National Archives is being led by the Defence Nuclear Organisation with AWE preparing the records for release.

The Government is deeply grateful to all those who participated in the UK nuclear testing programme. We recognise their Service and the huge contribution they have made to the UK’s security.

That is why I have already met with representatives of the nuclear test veteran community in September and December to discuss a range of topics relating to their experiences and the challenges they face. Ministry of Defence officials regularly engage and meet with representatives, and have done so every month since September 2024 to update them on the work currently being done.

The claims from Nuclear Test Veterans are at the pre-action stage. It is for the Claimants’ legal representatives to formulate their case against the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in court should they wish to proceed. The MOD is not able to estimate the value of compensation claimed without an indication of the level of damages sought by the prospective Claimants.

The Government is deeply grateful to all Service personnel who participated in the UK nuclear testing programme. We recognise the huge contribution they have made to our national security and take this issue very seriously.

I have asked officials to look seriously into unresolved questions regarding medical records as a priority, and this is now underway. This work will be comprehensive, and it will enable us to better understand what information the Department holds in relation to the medical testing of Service personnel who took part in the UK nuclear weapons tests, ensuring that we can be assured that relevant information has been looked at thoroughly.

I am also firmly committed to regular engagement with organisations representing nuclear test veterans to understand their concerns, and officials in the Department are also engaging regularly.

A memorial commemorating all personnel of the Combined Services Task Force, who served during the UK’s nuclear tests, is located at the National Memorial Arboretum, which is the focal point for commemorating all those who have served in the UK Armed Forces. We are also aware of a number of other local Nuclear Test Memorials across the UK.

The Ministry of Defence has no current plans for further memorials to nuclear test veterans. Memorials are typically financed by public subscription and are located with the permission of the relevant local authority.

Paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May states:

“By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code [updated on 6 November 2024]. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.”

This is known as the Law Officers’ Convention and it applies to your question.

Nuclear Test Veterans made a huge contribution to UK security, including helping to establish the UK’s nuclear deterrent, which to this day keeps our country safe.

Like all Service personnel, those who were present at the UK nuclear weapon tests may have had medical testing undertaken throughout their career. I have asked Ministry of Defence officials to look at records to fully understand what information the Department holds in relation to the medical testing of Service personnel who took part in the UK nuclear weapons tests.

I will provide an update on this in due course.

The Government is deeply grateful to all Service personnel who participated in the UK nuclear testing programme. We recognise the huge contribution they have made to our national security.

I have met with MPs and groups in the nuclear test veteran community to discuss a range of topics relating to their experiences and the challenges they face. These efforts have resulted in us expanding the criteria for the commemorative Nuclear Test Medal.

I am committed to looking into unresolved questions regarding medical records and look forward to further engagement with Nuclear Test Veterans and their representatives over the coming months.

Nuclear test veterans who believe they have suffered ill health due to service have the existing and long-standing right to apply for no-fault compensation under the War Pensions Scheme.

I am committed to regularly meeting with veterans to learn about their experiences and understand how the Government can provide the right support to them.

This is a Government of service that will always stand up for those who serve our country. I have already met with parliamentary colleagues and representatives of the nuclear test veteran community. I remain committed to continuing that engagement to thank nuclear test veterans for their service and to further understand their current concerns.