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.

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.