Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the armed forces are trained in biological warfare; and what plans he has to increase the number of such people.
In accordance with the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, which prohibits the use of Biological Weapons, UK Armed Forces personnel are not trained in offensive Biological Warfare. The Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention does permit programmes and activities to protect against the use of Biological Weapons
In accordance with the UK policy on Chemical Biological Radiation and Nuclear (CBRN) Protection, all members of the Armed Forces receive CBRN defence training on initial entry and thereafter on a routine basis, the frequency of which is determined by role and readiness state.