Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the maximum recommended dose of steroids is which can be administered to armed forces personnel for temporary hearing loss caused by participation in the Ajax Armoured Fighting Vehicle programme.

Steroids are only used in cases of serious concerns on otherwise potentially permanent hearing loss.

Personnel are maximally offered the steroid medications below:

a) 1mg per Kg of Prednisolone (up to a maximum of 60mg) to be taken as an oral preparation (tablets) once a day for seven days only.

b) Intra-tympanic Injection of Solu Medrone - reconstituted from 125mg in 2ml of sterile water. As the volume of the middle ear varies between individuals and cannot be measured before injection the precise amount varies but is, in general - 0.5 to 1ml which equates to 3.175mg - 6.25mg of Solu Medrone into the middle ear on the affected side(s).