My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Calvin Bailey) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

As we approach the 75th anniversary of the UK becoming a nuclear power, the contribution of over 22,000 UK Service personnel, as well as scientists and civilians, in developing our...

My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Calvin Bailey) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

As we approach the 75th anniversary of the UK becoming a nuclear power, the contribution of over 22,000 UK Service personnel, as well as scientists and civilians, in developing our...

As we approach the 75th anniversary of the UK becoming a nuclear power, the contribution of over 22,000 UK Service personnel, as well as scientists and civilians, in developing our nuclear deterrent must never be forgotten. I would like to place on record how grateful this government is to those...

As we approach the 75th anniversary of the UK becoming a nuclear power, the contribution of over 22,000 UK Service personnel, as well as scientists and civilians, in developing our nuclear deterrent must never be forgotten. I would like to place on record how grateful this government is to those...

I. AWE 2 Document: Review of SDTN No. 16/93: Environmental Monitoring Data for Christmas Island 1957-58 [redacted] 8p. II. Records exercise into blood and urine testing of UK Service personnel during the UK’s nuclear testing programme (1952 - 1967). 117p. III. Navy, Air and Army Historical Branch reports on nuclear testing medical policy (3 docs). IV. AWE Nuclear Security Technologies report on nuclear testing medical policy. 34p. V. AWE 1 Document: Ionising Radiation Appeals: Review of environmental review of environmental monitoring data for Christmas Island (CI) 1957-1958 [redacted] 42p. VI. Peer Review 1: Ionising Radiation Appeals: Review of environmental monitoring data for Christmas Island 1957-58 (undated and un-reference draft AWE report). Review and Comments by K. Johnston [redacted] 10p. VII. Peer Review 2 - Review of SDTN No 16/93 - Note by K Johnston [redacted] 2p. VIII. MOD Report 1: Reconstruction of doses received by Veterans of the UK Atmospheric Nuclear Weapons Tests at Kiritimati (Christmas Island). 285p. IX. MOD Report 2: Supplementary Report: Revision of Estimates of Dose to Include additional nuclides, uranium 240, neptunium 240 and plutonium 240. 93p. X. Narrative report on documents relating to environmental monitoring data at Christmas Island during the UK nuclear testing programme. 5p.

I. AWE 2 Document: Review of SDTN No. 16/93: Environmental Monitoring Data for Christmas Island 1957-58 [redacted] 8p. II. Records exercise into blood and urine testing of UK Service personnel during the UK’s nuclear testing programme (1952 - 1967). 117p. III. Navy, Air and Army Historical Branch reports on nuclear...

Agreed to on question.

Agreed to on question.

I almost unable to be here today, because my mum, Una, has been critically ill in hospital. If you will indulge me for a few seconds, Madam Deputy Speaker, I want to thank from the bottom of my heart the paramedics and respiratory nurses who saved my mum’s life on...

I almost unable to be here today, because my mum, Una, has been critically ill in hospital. If you will indulge me for a few seconds, Madam Deputy Speaker, I want to thank from the bottom of my heart the paramedics and respiratory nurses who saved my mum’s life on...

I pay tribute to all those who served in our armed forces as part of the nuclear tests overseas, to those who suffered illness or died prematurely as a result of the tests, and to the bereaved families and family members who were born with rare disabilities as a result...

I pay tribute to all those who served in our armed forces as part of the nuclear tests overseas, to those who suffered illness or died prematurely as a result of the tests, and to the bereaved families and family members who were born with rare disabilities as a result...

I thank my hon. Friend for his hard work and for his support of the Hillsborough law campaign over the years. He has done an inordinate amount of work to try to make justice for the victims a reality, and I know he continues that work on a daily basis....

I thank my hon. Friend for his hard work and for his support of the Hillsborough law campaign over the years. He has done an inordinate amount of work to try to make justice for the victims a reality, and I know he continues that work on a daily basis....

I am extremely grateful to the hon. Lady for the warm words that she offered. She gave me too much praise—this is a team effort. She is absolutely right to say that the veterans deserve the most praise. Our friendship in this place was formed through our joint commitment to...

I am extremely grateful to the hon. Lady for the warm words that she offered. She gave me too much praise—this is a team effort. She is absolutely right to say that the veterans deserve the most praise. Our friendship in this place was formed through our joint commitment to...

The right hon. Member is spot-on. I often refer to him as my partner in crime on this issue and a number of other issues in this House. It definitely demonstrates Parliament working at its very best when we come together on these injustices and fight for those who have...

The right hon. Member is spot-on. I often refer to him as my partner in crime on this issue and a number of other issues in this House. It definitely demonstrates Parliament working at its very best when we come together on these injustices and fight for those who have...

Would my hon. Friend join me in commemorating the life and legacy of Alan Dowson? Until very recently, he was a councillor in my constituency. He was first elected in 1971, and served as a Labour councillor for most of the intervening years. He was 19 years old when he...

Would my hon. Friend join me in commemorating the life and legacy of Alan Dowson? Until very recently, he was a councillor in my constituency. He was first elected in 1971, and served as a Labour councillor for most of the intervening years. He was 19 years old when he...

I express my full respect for my hon. Friend’s constituent, and I can only imagine what he suffered. Even the tales of people serving on Christmas Island seeing the bones in their hands would have a considerable psychological effect on them for the rest of their life, but it is...

I express my full respect for my hon. Friend’s constituent, and I can only imagine what he suffered. Even the tales of people serving on Christmas Island seeing the bones in their hands would have a considerable psychological effect on them for the rest of their life, but it is...

I, too, pay tribute to the incredible amount of work done by Susie Boniface, and to Members across the House for this really important work. I was utterly astounded when I read the report and understood that, even though the reports were not available until much later, the evidence has...

I, too, pay tribute to the incredible amount of work done by Susie Boniface, and to Members across the House for this really important work. I was utterly astounded when I read the report and understood that, even though the reports were not available until much later, the evidence has...

The hon. Lady has been a doughty campaigner on behalf of her own party on this issue and I thank her for her work in this House. She is right. The veterans are not asking for special treatment; they are just asking for the truth and for justice. Many of...

The hon. Lady has been a doughty campaigner on behalf of her own party on this issue and I thank her for her work in this House. She is right. The veterans are not asking for special treatment; they are just asking for the truth and for justice. Many of...

I am intervening, first, to send my love to my hon. Friend’s mum.

Secondly, in our debates over the years, we have always emphasised urgency because of the age of the victims. However, we also need to recognise and ensure that any inquiry recognises that this has gone down two generations...

I am intervening, first, to send my love to my hon. Friend’s mum.

Secondly, in our debates over the years, we have always emphasised urgency because of the age of the victims. However, we also need to recognise and ensure that any inquiry recognises that this has gone down two generations...

My mum will be very excited that my right hon. Friend has sent her his love—there will be pandemonium on ward 47 at the moment, I can tell you.

My right hon. Friend is right: there are certainly urgent issues that the Government must consider today, but beyond today, and beyond...

My mum will be very excited that my right hon. Friend has sent her his love—there will be pandemonium on ward 47 at the moment, I can tell you.

My right hon. Friend is right: there are certainly urgent issues that the Government must consider today, but beyond today, and beyond...

There is obviously a terrible history going back a number of years of cancers and other illnesses caused by exposure in this case. I wonder whether my hon. Friend would forgive me for raising a similar but more contemporary situation: that of aircrew on military helicopters who are developing blood...

There is obviously a terrible history going back a number of years of cancers and other illnesses caused by exposure in this case. I wonder whether my hon. Friend would forgive me for raising a similar but more contemporary situation: that of aircrew on military helicopters who are developing blood...

My hon. Friend raises another very important issue that goes to the heart of today’s debate. The point is that the Government need to be in a good place on this; they need to acknowledge that mistakes were made historically, and to restore faith to all servicemen and women who...

My hon. Friend raises another very important issue that goes to the heart of today’s debate. The point is that the Government need to be in a good place on this; they need to acknowledge that mistakes were made historically, and to restore faith to all servicemen and women who...

Hear, hear.

4.42 pm

Hear, hear.

4.42 pm

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Salford (Rebecca Long Bailey) for securing this debate and for all her tireless work on behalf of our nuclear test veterans, and I want to extend my best wishes to her mum as well.

When we come to this House and when we...

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Salford (Rebecca Long Bailey) for securing this debate and for all her tireless work on behalf of our nuclear test veterans, and I want to extend my best wishes to her mum as well.

When we come to this House and when we...

I rise principally so that the Minister can compose herself—her emotion and her commitment are evident. I have stood at the Dispatch Box over 19 years on both sides of this Chamber, and I know what it is like to be a Minister. I simply say to her, echoing the...

I rise principally so that the Minister can compose herself—her emotion and her commitment are evident. I have stood at the Dispatch Box over 19 years on both sides of this Chamber, and I know what it is like to be a Minister. I simply say to her, echoing the...