| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Dr. Reid: If I may quote the old song, there are sometimes more questions than answers, and we are still asking questions. I would like to tell my hon. Friend that I have the answers, but at least we are putting his questions to the test now, and I hope that that is an advance.
As I said, there are a range of possible causes for a possible illness. One suggestion, which may be worthy of investigation, was published in The Lancet last week; I have mentioned it before.
My hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, North also raised the question of the effects of low-level exposure to organophosphate pesticides on human health, and the question whether that could be a contributing factor in the illnesses now seen in some Gulf veterans. Research is currently under way to try to determine those effects in the context of ill health claimed by some farm workers. As my hon. Friend said, it is sponsored jointly by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Department of Health and the Health and Safety Executive.
The researchers are due to report in 1999, but the Government's present position is and must be that there is no firm evidence at this stage to support a link between low-level exposure to organophosphates and adverse health effects. I also stress that the popular image of Gulf veterans being exposed repeatedly to large quantities of pesticides was not borne out by the thorough investigation conducted last autumn, the result of which was published on 10 December. Nevertheless, we shall continue to work on that field of research, in conjunction with the other agencies that I mentioned.
Questions raised in this morning's press, and yesterday in another place, have given currency to the issue of military tents used in the Gulf that were then sent to scouts. I can tell hon. Members--including those who may have seen reports suggesting that users of MOD surplus tents risk being exposed to organophosphate pesticide that was sprayed on the canvas during the Gulf war--that the Minister for Defence Procurement gave a full answer to a question on the subject in another place on Monday. In view of the time, I do not intend to read that answer at length, but hon. Members can refer to the record.
Since that issue was raised, the scientific advice that I have sought and received on it has been reassuring. However, in view of public concern, today I asked my officials to contact the Scout Association to offer any assistance that the Ministry of Defence can provide. I am glad to tell the House that the tents that were reported as a source of illness have been identified by the association and, at its request, my officials will make arrangements for appropriate tests for the presence of organophosphate compounds. The work will be carried out expeditiously and the results made public as soon as possible.
While we await the results, I should like to reassure the House by reporting what was said in another place yesterday by the Minister for Defence Procurement: all the evidence suggests that, over time, the effects of organophosphates break down. That is why tents have to be continually sprayed. At the moment, there is no evidence to link any of the alleged effects to the alleged tents that were allegedly sprayed with organophosphates. Nevertheless, because of concern in the House and my own concern, we shall take them in and test them. I hope that that will reassure anyone who may be worried. The issue will be resolved quickly.
Many Gulf veterans are frustrated by what they see as woefully inadequate provision of information about what occurred in the Gulf. Medical records are incomplete, and the Government have not yet published full and frank accounts of many incidents during the conflict or of how the vaccination programme was put in place and implemented. That is precisely why I announced last month that I had asked for a full explanation of the scientific basis on which vaccinations were given to our troops.
I enter the caveat that, while I am keen to make a fresh and active start on the issue, I am adamant that I will not make promises that I cannot deliver. Some seven years after the conflict, we may have to accept that some parts of the story will never be known, some records will never be found and some may never have been compiled in the war. However, we shall honestly do everything we can. I am determined that what can be uncovered will be made public in due course in the context of the scientific explanation, although that will involve considerable effort and, perhaps in the long run, some embarrassment and pain.
The scale of the task in pulling together and collating all the information that could have a bearing on, for example, the vaccination programme is significant and it may take some time to complete. I assure the House that I have had full support from, and earnest work and almost tireless application to the task by, the Ministry's officials who have been charged with the work.
I shall deal briefly with war pensions and compensation. The issue of no-fault compensation for Gulf veterans was raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, North. All such issues will be revisited and progress reported in due course--in weeks rather than months--as part of our response to the Select Committee. I stress that many people do not appreciate that the war pensions scheme already effectively provides generous no-fault compensation to service personnel who have suffered illness or injury as a result of service of any kind.
I shall put the value of war pensions in perspective. My hon. Friend may care to note that a severely disabled single ex-service man can receive a total, tax-free war pension of more than £386 per week, including allowances. I invite my hon. Friend to capitalise that. He raised the issue of the seven-year limit. I fully understand that the burden of proof changes, seven years after the time one leaves the service. That affects only a small number of people in this case and is dealt with by another Department; I am sure that the matter will have been noted by my right hon. and hon. Friends in the Department of Social Security, which deals with those matters.
Many Gulf veterans who have applied for war pensions left the services only recently and the provision will apply to only a few. I know that there is great frustration over waiting times for assessment, and I hope that that has also been noted by those who deal with these matters in the Department of Social Security, where great efforts are made. However, I am sure that we can achieve more.
There are many leads to be followed and many questions remain unanswered. The Government are determined that no stone will be left unturned in our efforts to understand the reasons for the illnesses of Gulf veterans. My hon. Friend will appreciate that a fresh start has been made, but that it is only a start. I shall ensure that it is carried through. The country would expect us to do nothing less.
Question put and agreed to.
25 Jun 1997 : Column 963Adjourned accordingly at one minute to Eleven o'clock.
| Index | Home Page |