Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of medical measures to protect members of the armed forces against nerve agents following the incidents in Salisbury and Amesbury last year.

The response to this unique incident in the UK was predominately led by other Government Departments, supported by the Ministry of Defence (MOD). Post event there was detailed examination of the properties of the nerve agent and its medical management by military and civilian scientific and medical communities, re-affirming the effectiveness of our current Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) medical countermeasures and the importance of continuing medical care.

The MOD, in collaboration with countermeasure development partners, will use the information and lessons identified for future capability development as well as the continuing training of first responders and medical personnel. Furthermore, the UK has shared valuable information with its allies to allow them to assess their CBRN medical countermeasures and maximise interoperability.