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To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement about the call out of reservists for operations in the Balkans and the region of Iraq. - Inc figures.

Asked by

Bob Laxton (Labour)

Answering body

Ministry of Defence

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

6 April 2001

Reference

157797; 366 c290-1W

House

House of Commons

Ministry of Defence

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what responses have been received to his Department's consultative document on screening arrangements for service personnel and civilians who have served in the Balkans and the Gulf and who are concerned about exposure to depleted uranium; and if he will make a...

Asked by

Russell Brown (Labour)

Answering body

Ministry of Defence

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

27 March 2001

Reference

155986; 365 c546-7W;365 c548-9W

House

House of Commons

Ministry of Defence

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on future UK force levels in the Balkans. - Inc figures.

Asked by

Lorna Fitzsimons (Labour)

Answering body

Ministry of Defence

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

14 March 2001

Reference

154042; 364 c601W

House

House of Commons

Ministry of Defence

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many road accidents there have been in moving UK troops in (a) Bosnia and (b) Kosovo in the last two years which resulted in major injury to UK military personnel; how many military personnel were killed in them; how many resulted...

Asked by

Mike Hancock (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Ministry of Defence

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

9 March 2001

Reference

364 c358W; 152597

House

House of Commons

Ministry of Defence

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK troops have been injured in (a) Bosnia and (b) Kosovo in the last two years; how many have been removed from the country where they were serving owing to the serious nature of their wounds; how many have been...

Asked by

Mike Hancock (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Ministry of Defence

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

9 March 2001

Reference

152598; 364 c358W

House

House of Commons

Ministry of Defence

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much the UK has paid out in compensation because of road accidents to non-UK persons for road accidents involving UK personnel; how many civilians have been (a) killed and (b) seriously injured in such accidents in (i) Bosnia and (ii) Kosovo;...

Asked by

Mike Hancock (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Ministry of Defence

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

7 March 2001

Reference

364 c222W; 152596

House

House of Commons

Ministry of Defence

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what requests have been received from the European Commission for information gathered by monitoring programmes on exposure to depleted uranium of British troops who have served in the Balkans; what assessments of depleted uranium dangers are being undertaken by NATO; and if...

Asked by

Llew Smith (Labour)

Answering body

Ministry of Defence

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

9 January 2001

For answer on

26 February 2001

Answered on

26 February 2001

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what requests have been received from the European Commission for information gathered by monitoring programmes on exposure to depleted uranium of British troops who have served in the Balkans; what assessments of depleted uranium dangers are being undertaken by NATO; and if he will make a statement on the current state of knowledge gained from the United Kingdom depleted uranium monitoring programme. [145281] Mr. Spellar: The European Commission has made no requests for information gathered by monitoring programmes on exposure to depleted uranium of British troops who have served in the Balkans. The NATO Chiefs of Medical Military Services Committee (COMEDS) met on 15 January to discuss health concerns related to service in the Balkans. The COMEDS concluded that: there is no evidence of a link between depleted uranium and reported cancers; there is no indication of any atypical illness linked to the Balkans, and, those soldiers with health complaints must be given the best appropriate medical care. The COMEDS have, however, made recommendations for further investigative work. In recognition of the fact that recent press coverage concerning depleted uranium will have caused some concerns among our people, I announced an initiative to identify an additional appropriate voluntary screening programme for our service personnel and civilians who have served in the Balkans on 9 January 2001, Official Report, columns 877-79. It is currently envisaged that this programme will also be available to Gulf veterans. The first phase of work has been completed and, on 13 February, we published a consultative document setting out the technical issues associated with such a programme, inviting advice and comment from a wide range of expert bodies. A copy of the document has been placed in the Library of the House. UK Gulf veterans who are concerned that their health has been adversely affected by service during the Gulf conflict, including by possible exposure to DU, are entitled to seek a referral to the Gulf Veterans' Medical Assessment Programme for a full medical assessment. Any tests that are considered clinically appropriate by the examining MAP physician, including those to detect the presence of uranium, will be arranged. Out of 3,000 patients examined by MAP physicians, two have exhibited symptoms that, in the judgment of the examining physicians, have indicated a clinical requirement for testing to detect uranium and have been tested. These test results show that uranium, in any form, is not a contributory factor to the patient's ill health.

Date

26 February 2001

Reference

145281; 363 c557-8W

House

House of Commons

Ministry of Defence

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 7th February, Official Report, columns 519-20W, on depleted uranium, which units and sub units that served in the Balkans were not subject to pre-deployment course briefing on medical issues, including depleted uranium, (a) from June 1999 to...

Asked by

Alex Salmond (Scottish National Party)

Answering body

Ministry of Defence

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

13 February 2001

For answer on

26 February 2001

Answered on

26 February 2001

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 7 February 2001, Official Report, columns 519-20W, on depleted uranium, which units and sub units that served in the Balkans were not subject to pre-deployment course briefing on medical issues, including depleted uranium, (a) from June 1999 to August 2000 and (b) since August 2000; how many troops were involved; who decided to curtail the pre-deployment course briefing on medical issues; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the situation is not repeated. [150972] Mr. Spellar: All units and sub-units deploying to the Balkans between 1 June 1999 and 12 September 2000 attended a course run by the Operational Training and Advisory Group (Warminster) (OPTAG(W)), previously called the United Nations Training and Advisory Team (UNTAT), prior to deployment. This included a general briefing on environmental industrial hazards, including radiological hazards, delivered by the Mobile Health Instructional Team (MHIT). In view of the large number of operational deployments last autumn, the course for troops deploying to the Balkans was reduced in length to ensure that all troops received the best preparation for their deployment in the time available. OPTAG(W) considered the priority for topics to be included in the course and the medical briefing was dropped. This decision was taken by OPTAG(W) in the light of circumstances at the time and, in view of the fact that all troops receive an annual medical training package under unit arrangements. The following units, or elements of the units, did not receive the MHIT briefing between 12 September and 13 December 2000 prior to deployment to the Balkans: Unit 2nd Battalion The Light Infantry 2nd Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment One squadron from the Queen's Dragoon Guards 33 Engineer Regiment 59 Commando Squadron Royal Engineers 4 Regiment Army Air Corps 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery 661 Squadron Army Air Corps 16 Signal Regiment 24 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps 33 Field Hospital 847 Naval Air Squadron 23 Pioneer Regiment 50 Independent Commando Squadron RE 4 General Support Regiment Royal Logistic Corps 8 Transport Regiment Royal Logistic Corps Note: Troops to be deployed as individual reinforcements are trained alongside units and sub-units. Therefore, some 3,100 troops in these units and sub-units and some 400 troops who were deployed as individuals, did not receive the pre-deployment MHIT briefing. Instructions to reinstate the briefing were issued formally on 12 January, but action had already been taken to revise the course programme for the first OPTAG(W) course after the Christmas and New Year break. This took place between 8-10 January; all troops participating in this course were given the MHIT brief. As stated in my answer of 7 February 2001, Official Report, columns 519-20W, all troops deploying to Kosovo should have received briefing at unit level on depleted uranium in accordance with the instructions in the Mounting Order, although we now know that this process was not comprehensive.

Date

26 February 2001

Reference

363 c555-7W; 150972

House

House of Commons

Ministry of Defence

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what date, and through which channels his Department first learned from the United States Administration that depleted uranium shells used by the United States forces in the Balkans conflict were contaminated with plutonium; and if British depleted uranium munitions contain plutonium....

Asked by

Llew Smith (Labour)

Answering body

Ministry of Defence

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

24 January 2001

For answer on

15 February 2001

Answered on

15 February 2001

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date, and through which channels, his Department first learned from the United States Administration that depleted uranium shells used by the United States forces in the Balkans conflict were contaminated with plutonium; and if British depleted uranium munitions contain plutonium. [147744] Mr. Spellar: It has long been known in the scientific community, the nuclear industry and by the Defence Radiological Protection Service that depleted uranium (DU) might contain minute traces of isotopes other than U-238, U-235 and U-234. More recently, details about transuranic contamination of US DU, including by plutonium, were made public by the US Department of Energy in September 1999. Subsequent work in the US, reported by the Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illness (OSAGWI) in December 2000, showed that the trace quantities of transuranic elements and fission products in US DU armour plate added only 0.8 per cent. to the radiation dose from the DU itself. This is insignificant given the low radioactivity of DU. Information obtained from the Starmet Corporation, who supply Royal Ordnance with the DU they use to make ammunition, tells us that for each gram of DU, there is 0.000 000 000 005 2 grams of plutonium 238 and 0.000 000 001 2 grams of plutonium 239/240. The activity contribution of the three naturally occurring uranium isotopes in 1 gram of DU is 14,818 becquerels. The plutonium contributes an extra 6.14 becquerels, or 0.04 per cent. of the radiation of the naturally occurring uranium isotopes.

Date

15 February 2001

Reference

363 c195-6W; 147744

House

House of Commons

Ministry of Defence

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made with work to identify a voluntary screening programme for service personnel and civilians who have served in the Balkans and who are concerned about exposure to depleted uranium. (In library as Dep 01/266).

Asked by

Linda Gilroy (Labour; Co-operative Party)

Answering body

Ministry of Defence

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

13 February 2001

Reference

150464; 363 c87W

House

House of Commons

Ministry of Defence

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 amunition had been expended; what precautions they were required to take if they were obliged to enter these areas; what monitoring of their physical...

Asked by

John Swinney (Scottish National Party)

Answering body

Ministry of Defence

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

9 January 2001

For answer on

7 February 2001

Answered on

7 February 2001

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.

Date

7 February 2001

Reference

145136; 362 c519-20W

House

House of Commons

Ministry of Defence

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if his Department is monitoring the health checks being conducted by Spain, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Norway, France and Belgium, on peacekeeper troops who may have come into contact with depleted uranium whilst deployed in the Balkans; what recent discussions he has had...

Asked by

Llew Smith (Labour)

Answering body

Ministry of Defence

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

9 January 2001

For answer on

22 January 2001

Answered on

22 January 2001

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if his Department is monitoring the health checks being conducted by Spain, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Norway, France and Belgium, on peacekeeper troops who may have come into contact with depleted uranium whilst deployed in the Balkans; [145289] (2) what recent discussions he has had with his NATO counterparts about the health effects of depleted uranium on military personnel and civilians during Operation Granby in the Gulf in 1991. [145287] Mr. Spellar: In my statement to the House on 9 January 2001, Official Report, columns 877-90, I stressed the importance of co-ordinating our approach with allies. The Ministry of Defence, both independently and through NATO, is therefore monitoring very closely the health checks being proposed or conducted by our allies on troops who believe they may have been exposed to depleted uranium (DU). The North Atlantic Council met on 10 January 2001 to consider the possible health effects associated with the use of DU munitions. After that meeting, the Secretary General affirmed that NATO allies are committed to ensuring the health and safety of their Service personnel and to avoiding any ill-effects for the civilian population and personnel of the non- governmental organisations as a result of NATO military operations. Allies agreed that NATO should continue to co-operate fully with investigations by nations or multinational organisations on the possible effects of exposure; to produce information on the use of DU munitions during operation Deny Flight and Deliberate Force in 1994 and 1995; and to consult fully with all present and past NATO SFOR and KFOR contributing countries. On 15 January 2001, the NATO Chiefs of Medical Military Services Committee (COMEDS), the senior medical advisory committee of NATO, held a meeting to discuss the health concerns of Balkan peacekeepers. At this meeting, a common NATO medical approach was agreed. This was that each nation should analyse the mortality rates of its Service personnel; analyse the rate of illness among its Balkans veterans; compare them with control groups and national matched statistics, and correlate the collection of morbidity data with known health hazards in theatre. A NATO meeting was also held on 16 January 2001 to establish a working group to act as a clearing house for the exchange of information, between the allies and more widely, on any health risks associated with the use of DU munitions. While this activity has arisen in the context of concerns about use of depleted uranium in the Balkans, the discussions are also relevant to the suggested health effects of DU in the Gulf.

Date

22 January 2001

Reference

361 c418-9W;361 c419-20W; 145289;145287

House

House of Commons

Ministry of Defence

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many British troops and medical auxiliaries have been subject to exposure to depleted uranium from NATO and allied forces in (a) Iraq, (b) Kuwait, (c) Bosnia, (d) Kosovo and (e) other parts of the Balkans, arising from military conflicts in those...

Asked by

Llew Smith (Labour)

Answering body

Ministry of Defence

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

22 January 2001

Reference

361 c417W;361 c418-9W; 145292

House

House of Commons

Ministry of Defence

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to monitor the findings of NATO allies about depleted uranium monitoring in the Balkans. - Inc ref to 15 January 2001, 361 c41-2W. (Holding answer 15 January 2001).

Asked by

Tam Dalyell (Labour)

Answering body

Ministry of Defence

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

22 January 2001

Reference

144670; 361 c415-6W;361 c417W

House

House of Commons

Ministry of Defence

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on Lord Robertson's speech given in Stockholm relating to the effect on peace-keepers serving in international missions in the Balkans of depleted uranium. - Inc ref to 15 January 2001, 361 c41-2W.

Asked by

Tam Dalyell (Labour)

Answering body

Ministry of Defence

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

22 January 2001

Reference

361 c416W;361 c417W; 146435

House

House of Commons

Ministry of Defence

Answered by

Geoffrey Hoon (Labour)

Answering body

Ministry of Defence

Type

Oral answers to questions

Date

15 January 2001

Reference

361 c10

House

House of Commons

Ministry of Defence

Supplementary on British troops deployed in Bosnia and Kosovo and depleted uranium.

Asked by

Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru)

Answering body

Ministry of Defence

Oral questions - 1st Supplementary

Status

Answered

Date

15 January 2001

Reference

361 c10-1

House

House of Commons

Ministry of Defence

Answered by

Geoffrey Hoon (Labour)

Answering body

Ministry of Defence

Type

Oral answers to questions

Date

15 January 2001

Reference

361 c10

House

House of Commons

Ministry of Defence

Answered by

Geoffrey Hoon (Labour)

Answering body

Ministry of Defence

Type

Oral answers to questions

Date

15 January 2001

Reference

361 c10-1

House

House of Commons

Ministry of Defence

1st supplementary on the testing programme for depleted uranium.

Asked by

Claire Ward (Labour)

Answering body

Ministry of Defence

Oral questions - 1st Supplementary

Status

Answered

Date

15 January 2001

Reference

361 c10

House

House of Commons

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