MPs to be quizzed on army cancer fears

MPs to be quizzed on army cancer fears

Defence ministers are set to be called before an influential House of Commons committee to explain what they are doing about fears that servicemen may have contracted cancer from uranium-tipped ammunition, it has been revealed.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) last night said it had found traces of radiation at eight sites in Kosovo hit by the Nato shells, which were also used by American forces in Bosnia and the Gulf War.

Bruce George, Labour chairman of the Commons Defence Committee, today told PA News that a Ministry of Defence investigation into the health impact of the ammunition was a matter of urgency.

He said no repeat should be permitted of the MoD foot-dragging over Gulf War Syndrome in the 1990s, which saw sick ex-servicemen battling for years to convince ministers that their illness was real.

Mr George's committee meets on January 10, when it is expected to issue an invitation to Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon and his ministers to give evidence on the issue as soon as possible. This would almost certainly lead to a report from the committee, said Mr George.

He told PA News: "The Ministry of Defence has got to come up with a statement pretty quickly to allay fears and reassure servicemen and their families.

"We are very much aware of how indifferent the last government was to the pleas of soldiers that they were suffering because of their service in the Gulf. I am sure that the present-day ministers will not want to be as uncooperative as their predecessors.

"The Government have got to say what their analysis of the situation is, what they are doing and what they propose to do."

The UNEP's preliminary findings called for precautions to be taken when dealing with ammunition containing depleted uranium, and the EU has announced an inquiry into the health risks of the shells.

Portugal today called on Kosovo veterans to undergo health screening after one of its soldiers was diagnosed as having cancer. Italy has already begun an investigation after six deaths and 30 cases of serious illnesses, while France said on Thursday that four Balkans veterans were being treated for leukaemia.

But the MoD today insisted any risks to personnel were minimal.

A spokesman said Defence Minister John Spellar told the Commons last November that the ministry had been aware since the 1990-91 Gulf conflict of a limited health risk from oxide dust from the shells.

But he added: "We are unaware of anything that shows depleted uranium has caused any ill health or death of people who served in Kosovo or Bosnia.

"We will watch to see what comes of the other studies that the Royal Society is carrying out."

An increasing number of ex-servicemen have come forward claiming that they are suffering from Balkan War Syndrome. Former British Army engineer Kevin Rudland, 41, from Hull, said that within a few months of his return from the Balkans in April 1999, his hair fell out, his teeth started to rot and he developed osteoarthritis and post-traumatic stress disorder.

He said: "These UN findings do not surprise me. This is what we are trying to get over to the Government.

"They should screen British soldiers to find out if they were contaminated, so it can be sorted out, if they were."

Mr George has been contacted by a constituent who contracted cancer following service in Kosovo.

While there is no evidence that the man's illness is linked to depleted uranium, Mr George said it was vital to dispel families' anxieties about any possible connection.

He called on the MoD to carry out checks on samples of servicemen who went to Kosovo and compare them with those who did not, to see if there is any statistical evidence of increased vulnerability to illness.

He added: "If it is shown that depleted uranium causes an increase in cancers, then we have got to look at alternative weapon systems and at precautions which could be taken to protect our troops, as well as at how we can clean up the areas where the shells were used.

"If there is a problem, we need to know that our guys are getting the best treatment possible, because that is what they deserve."

Liberal Democrat defence spokesman Menzies Campbell said: "The use of depleted uranium shells has long been controversial and we owe it to the men and women of our armed forces to take every precaution for their protection.

"Nor can we shirk our moral and legal responsibility not to use a weapon which may have devastating consequences for civilians long after the conflict has ended."

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