MSPs debated test veterans case last night
LAST night in the Scottish Parliament MSPs debated the nuclear test veterans, their stories and the scientific case behind their problems.
It was an illuminating and detailed debate the likes of which we need to now try and push for in the House of Commons. There have been debates on the issue in Westminster before, but not for some time and also not covering as many bases as this one does.
Furthermore it seems the MSPs are also now pushing for the release of data from the MoD.
You’ll see Fiona McLeod says: “I have been unable to find any meta-analysis of [studies into test veterans] – and I have to wonder why. Indeed, the conspiracy theorist in me began to wonder what was happening and when I followed some links to find the medical research programmes listed, which should be on the National Information Governance Board for Health and Social Care website, I got a ‘404 Not Found’ message. We need to ask where that information has gone; in fact, I have sent an e-mail asking where the research has disappeared to.”
You can read the full report of the Holyrood debate here.
I attended the debate and I discovered that the ‘Fledgling’ Government of the SNP were very mature in their outlook and understanding of the problems faced by the Nuclear veterans, their Families and our Allies.
What a pity we have a Ministry of Defence who deny anyone access to the truth regarding the human atrocities committed against our own Service personnel our Allies, and a Government willing to aid and abet them in their unsustainable lies.
As I have said before their are many illnesses believed to be the result of witnessing those nuclear test, however one that is never mentioned is the psychological effect on the veterans, every time you have an unusual ache or pain you cant help but believe it has got you at last, it can, as in my case cause intermittent long term depression whenever the subject is raised in the media. You live your life under a cloud of anxiety which has been ever present for the last fifty odd years.
Ray has brought up a much forgotten subject. Besides cancers and other chronic legacy ill health there is also the ignored impact upon mental health .
When Ken McGinley founded the BNTVA in 1983 it was noted that suicide rates amongst nuclear test veterans was surprisingly high . The figures however have never been fully recorded . This is most likely because of the 16 year gap between the end of the nuclear test programmein 1967 and the formation of the BNTVA in 1983 .
Lack of records on this subject , as with early leukaemia deaths , is also likely to be because the most heavily irradiated victims , therefore the most likely to commit suicide , were no longer with us in 1983 . This is supported by the case of Squadron Leader Eric Denson , nuclear cloud sampling pilot , heavily irradiated at Christmas Island in 1958 and committed suicide in 1976 .
However in testimony to the United States Senate in 1998 for veterans welfare package world renown biomedical radiation expert Dr Rosalie Bertell stated :
” Genomic instability induced by exposure to radiation left individual survivors fragile in the face of normal environmental and life style insults resulting in observed premature disease and reduced quality of life .”
The premature chronic illnesses and other effects listed in Dr Bertells testimonybesides infertilty , organ and bone diseases etc are
1) Tiredness , fatigue , damage to the immune system resulting in frequent infections .
2) Psychological impact .
In 2005 Massey University in New Zealand published a Psychological Impact Study which showed elevated mental health problems in nuclear test veterans . The details of this study was submitted to the Expert Medical Panel ( EMP ) in Wellington , New Zealand in 2009 by the Chairman of the NZNTVA , Roy Sefton .
As Ray Bishop says ‘ you live your life under a cloud of anxiety’ as a nuclear test veteran . This anxiety has its roots in the genomic instability triggered by chromosomal damage induced by exposure to radiation . It does not help matters that successive governments have deliberately failed to monitor the health of loyal servicemen which of course should include cytogentic blood tests for genetic damage .
Nuclear power workers are genetically monitored and work in a protected environment . Nuclear Test Veterans are refused genetiic monitoring and worked in very heavily contaminated emvironments without any protection .
The only difference between the two occupational sets of workers is that one has a trade union whilst the other has a military covenant from which they are politically excluded .
Dear Ministry of Defence,
Under the freedom of information act how much has been spent in
legal fees,advisory bodies,Biological test,and any other expenses
used to deny any responsibility of harm caused to service personnel
used during the Hydrogen bomb test at Christmas Island
Yours faithfully,
Ray Bishop BNTVA
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DCDS PERS-SEC-FOI MAILBOX (MULTIUSER)
Ministry of Defence
2 September 2011
Mr R Bishop
Our Reference:
FOI/05-08-2011-155228-012
[[FOI #81976 email]]
Date: 2 September 2011
Dear Mr Bishop
Thank you for your recent request under the Freedom of Information Act.
You asked the following:
“Under the freedom of information act how much has been spent in legal
fees, advisory, bodies, Biological test, and other expenses used to deny
any responsibility of harm caused to service personnel used during the
Hydrogen bomb test at Christmas Island”
It is not possible to break down the costs related solely to the tests
carried out on Christmas Island during 1957-58, but the total costs
incurred by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in defending the Personal Injury
case heard at the High Court and the War Pensions Appeals Tribunals are
currently estimated at £4.9 million (as at 15 April 2011) and
£288,100 (as at 1 August 2011) respectively.
However, I would draw your attention to the fact that on 9 December 2010
the Court of Appeal ordered Rosenblatt Solicitors, the solicitors acting
on behalf of the Claimants, to pay MOD £2.25 million on account of the
MOD’s legal costs to date.
I should also explain that the MOD would not wish to set a precedent
through a practice of not defending itself in appeals that could have
significant, long term implications for Defence, and we are concerned
about the high costs relating to these cases. We will continue to work
with High Court and the Tribunal with a view to ensuring that costs
relating to all cases are proportionate and kept to a minimum.
No wonder the MOD fights every case if it is not costing them anything, from the above it appears that the court of appeal charges the MOD cost to the complainant, how can that be right.
Ray you raise an interesting point .
However what we have to focus upon is he fact that the MoD have a bottomless pit of tax payers’ money with which to defend the indefensible . They are waging a war of attrition against us to keep us out of court , until we are all dead and silenced for ever .
The tactic is also being applied against our legal team . The MoD obviously believe they can deflect any legal challenge by breaking any legal firm financially . However the MoD has underestimated the resolve and the resiliance of both the Atomic Veterans Claimants Group and the lefgal frim Rosenblatts to see justice done .
It is worth remembering that the position we are in is entirely of the MoD’s making . They could have responsibly and honouably settled our claims 28 year ago when advised by the MRC UNIT Edinburgh to blood test nuclear veterans fro genetic damage , The technology was available as long ago as 1983 The MoD refused that request for obvious reasons .
If the Mod had done the responsible thing then it could have helped identify the need for remedial health for for many of of comrades who died prematurely . It could have given the MoD the opportunity to recognise the hazardous service given then by small pensions and other recognition .
In 1996 the EU issued a directive to ” medically monitor the heatth of persons potentially exposed to ionising radiiation in the past ” but refused this also on the excuse the directive ” does not apply to the military use of nuclear energy .”
The above information did not come to our attention until the mid 2003 and onwards . But the MoD had knowledge of these developments but chose to ignore them .That in the view of many veterans is an act of criminal negligence .
It is disingenuous for the MoD to whinge about the high cost of the cases against them . It was the MoD who forced veterans with no other option other than to take legal action . They will have to bear the cost of something that could have been settled for much less many years ago .
That is not quite true . The MoD and the politicians who support their policy of attrition and hostilty against us will not pay out of their own pockets . They will , as always , take it from the pockets of the tax – payers who the MoD appear to hold in similar contempt as the nuclear test veterans and widows .