Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information his Department holds on the prevalence of asbestos in (a) defence equipment platforms and (b) his Department's (i) buildings and (ii) other infrastructure.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

We take the health and safety of our Service personnel and defence employees extremely seriously and have robust procedures for managing asbestos which comply with Health and Safety regulations.

Asbestos registers are held for Defence Equipment Platforms along with asbestos elimination/management plans that detail the quantity of Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) present. An annual report is submitted to the Health and Safety Executive on the progress made in eliminating asbestos from Defence Equipment Platforms.

The Department is responsible for circa 1,967 sites and each building with confirmed asbestos is listed on the relevant site asbestos register.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason his Department's settlement of Lariam claims involved a non-disclosure agreement with solicitors acting for veteran claimants.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Hilary Meredith Solicitors and the Ministry of Defence agreed to the inclusion of a confidentiality clause in the court order covering the damages settlement. It is a common feature of out of court settlements to keep confidential the amount of damages paid to claimants as well as the amount of legal costs paid to their solicitors.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that missing medical records on the use of Lariam by armed forces personnel are (a) located and (b) provided to those personnel.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence is not aware of any issues concerning missing medical records on the use of Lariam (mefloquine) by Armed Forces personnel. The Department can additionally confirm there are no outstanding requests for any medical records where a person believes they have been prescribed Lariam (mefloquine).

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total cost was of the sums agreed by his Department with Hilary Meredith Solicitors Ltd in connection with cases relating to the use of Lariam by armed forces personnel; and how many such claims have been settled.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Damages have been settled in all 434 claims brought by Hilary Meredith Solicitors against the Ministry of Defence relating to the use of Lariam. The claimants' legal costs have still to be resolved.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many claims his Department (a) has settled, (b) has refused and (c) are outstanding for asbestos exposure relating to service in the armed forces.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Service personnel who develop lung cancer or asbestos-related diseases due to Service before 6 April 2005 may be eligible for compensation under the War Pension Scheme (WPS). For conditions arising on or after this date, the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) applies.

WPS Asbestos-Related Claims (1 April 2020 - 31 March 2025)

Note: Pending claim figures are unavailable, as medical certification – required to confirm relevant conditions – is typically obtained close to the point of claim resolution.

Common Law Compensation Claims (1 April 2015 to 31 March 2025)

a) 19 asbestos-related claims have been settled with compensation paid.

b) 28 claims have been closed without compensation. It is not possible to distinguish between those refused, discontinued, or no longer pursued.

c) 320 claims remain outstanding.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Health and Safety Executive plans to update its Standard Occupational Classification asbestos mortality statistics to include (a) deaths over 75 and (b) non-occupational exposures.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Health and Safety Executive does not currently plan to change the basis for its mesothelioma and asbestosis mortality statistics by last occupation of the deceased. These statistics use routinely collected data from the Office for National Statistics (for deaths in England and Wales) and National Records of Scotland (for deaths in Scotland) which currently only includes coded information on last occupation up to age 74 for deaths in England and Wales. The accuracy of occupational information is known to decline at older ages.

The purpose of these statistics is to examine the relative frequency of recording of different occupations across this standard age range as evidence about the occupations most likely to be substantial sources of past asbestos exposure. These kinds of analyses cannot directly address the question of non-occupational exposure or provide a definitive assessment of past sources of occupational risk. They do however, together with other research evidence, help to identify the kinds of work associated with the highest risks historically.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department holds information on UK participation in civilian radiation experiments conducted by the US during the Cold War.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

There is no evidence of any UK participation in unethical US radiation experiments on humans.

Officials located ministerial correspondence dating from 1996 that summarise the details of UK conducted voluntary civilian experiments involving the use of low-level radioactive material at Harwell, Porton Down and AWE Aldermaston, dating back to the 1950s. These experiments were conducted appropriately and with due regard to the health and safety of the individuals involved who received a radiation dose significantly less than average national UK background radiation exposure. No reported illnesses or fatalities have resulted from these studies.

I will place a copy of that document in the Library of the House.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether results of (a) blood tests, (b) urine tests and (c) chest x-rays taken from UK troops serving at nuclear weapons tests were shared with (i) the US, (ii) Canada, (iii) Australia and (iv) New Zealand.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

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 comprehensively at what information the Department holds regarding nuclear test veterans' medical records. I will update this House when we are in a position to share findings.

On the hon. Member's specific question about information shared with the US, Canada, and New Zealand, we have not been able to find any evidence of this. General aspects of radiological and health protection management were shared with Australia during the tests. The 1985 Australian Royal Commission was provided with information on the management of radiological and health protection.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent progress his Department has made on establishing an asbestos census.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Asbestos in non-domestic buildings is a key ministerial priority. As part of its work, I have asked HSE to explore how it can develop our understanding of the legacy of asbestos in Great Britian, by building a more objective and reliable evidence base of the extent of asbestos in the built environment through a census, to inform longer-term strategy for continuing its safe removal over time.

HSE is taking a phased approach to the development of this work, focussing initially on the government estate.

HSE provides regular updates and assurance to ministers about its approach to asbestos management.

Proposal for a wealth tax