To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the possible obligations the Government have to nuclear test veterans under the EU Directive Euratom 96/29. (148288)

[holding answer 9 July 2007]: A resolution of the EU Parliament of 10 May 2007 called on member states to apply European Council Directive 96/29/Euratom on safety standards relating to ionising radiation. It is not legally binding, and the clearly stated position of this Government is that Euratom has no application to UK defence activities.

The UK Government, none the less, recognise their obligations to veterans of the UK nuclear tests. In particular, they have since 1983 commissioned three reports from the independent National Radiological Protection Board on possible adverse health effects of participation in these tests. These found no general effect on participants’ expectation of life nor on risk of developing most cancers, though there was a small increase in risk of some leukaemias. The outcome of these studies is reflected in the MOD’s handling of claims under the War Pension and Armed Forces Compensation Schemes.