Prime Minister Andy Burnham has met representatives of Britain’s nuclear test veteran community alongside Defence Secretary Wes Streeting, saying the Government will continue discussions with veterans and their families over the issues that matter most to them.
Burnham said the meeting focused on the experiences of those who took part in Britain’s nuclear weapons testing programme and the impact on their families.
He said:
“Today @wesstreeting and I met some of the representatives of the nuclear veteran community.”
Burnham added:
“We talked about what the veterans and their families have been through and what matters most to them now. This is the start of a conversation, not the end, and we’ll be working together on next steps.”
More than 22,000 took part in UK nuclear testing programme
The Ministry of Defence estimates that around 22,000 service personnel and civilians participated in Britain’s nuclear weapons testing programme between 1952 and 1967.
Veterans and their families have campaigned for decades over health concerns, access to medical records and compensation.
The Government currently has no dedicated compensation scheme specifically for nuclear test veterans. Those who believe they suffered illness or injury as a result of their service can apply for compensation through the War Pension Scheme, provided they served before 6 April 2005.
Medical records have been central to campaign
One of the most contentious issues has been the handling and availability of medical records from the nuclear testing period.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Defence completed an extensive records-discovery exercise covering tens of thousands of documents after veterans raised questions about blood and urine testing policies.
The Government said in September that the exercise had found no evidence of intentional concealment of medical records, with its findings published alongside a ministerial statement in July.
However, campaigners have continued to raise concerns about whether all relevant records have been identified and made accessible.
Separate work is still under way to examine Technical Cooperation Programme records for any material relating to experiments involving British service personnel.
Pressure remains over compensation
The question of compensation also remains unresolved.
In July and again this month, ministers confirmed that the Government had not established a bespoke compensation scheme for nuclear test veterans, although claims can be made under the existing War Pension Scheme.
Former defence minister Tobias Ellwood has recently called the treatment of nuclear test veterans one of Britain’s greatest scandals and argued that the issue of medical records requires further scrutiny.
Burnham signals continuing engagement
Burnham’s decision to meet representatives personally, alongside the Defence Secretary, suggests the Government intends to maintain direct engagement with the veteran community.
His emphasis that this was “the start of a conversation, not the end” leaves open the possibility of further announcements after officials and ministers work through the issues raised.
For nuclear test veterans and their families, the key question now is what those “next steps” will involve - particularly on access to records, recognition of health concerns and the long-running campaign for a dedicated compensation settlement.
