A New Beginning

Since returning from the Gulf War in 1991, some British veterans have become ill. Many believe that this ill-health is unusual and directly related to their participation in Operation GRANBY. This is a view also held in some other Coalition countries, particularly the USA, where Gulf veterans have fallen ill since the conflict. However, there is still no medical or scientific consensus on this subject and, after six years, many veterans now feel frustrated at the lack of progress and abandoned to their plight.

The new Government believes we have a debt of honour to those who have served their country in the Armed Forces and has been determined from the outset that a fresh start will be made in dealing with this difficult and complex issue. Accordingly one of the first actions of this Government on taking office was to announce a package of measures aimed at addressing Gulf veterans' health concerns.

Now, having consulted widely and considered the various issues carefully, this statement sets out how the Government proposes to deal with this matter in the future.