nuclear-news

Nuclear test veterans die as the law delays

it has been estimated that hundreds of veterans would have passed away and the legal costs will have risen to more than £30 million.

(UK) Test vets may be forced to wait another four years, Burton News , by ROB SMYTH, 9 July 2010,   NUCLEAR test veterans may have to wait more than four years for their case to be heard, even if an appeal by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) fails………..

Mr Ross claims that exposure to radiation in the 1950s nuclear tests, during his time as an RAF serviceman on Christmas Island, near Australia, has had a devastating effect on his health, his daughters and his grandson.

But the MoD has rejected allegations of negligence and countered by saying that the claims for compensation are now out of date.

It has now been revealed that even if the MoD appeal fails and a full hearing of the test veterans’ case goes ahead, it would take up to three years to prepare.

By this time it has been estimated that hundreds of veterans would have passed away and the legal costs will have risen to more than £30 million.

Despite the MoD continuing to argue that there is not enough solid scientific evidence, other countries such as New Zealand have accepted that there is a viable link between some health problems and the role veterans had in nuclear testing programmes.

Other countries such as America, France and China have also compensated test veterans rather than fighting them in court.

Burton News & Staffordshire Newspaper | Burton On Trent Local Newspaper Headlines | Daily Mail | Test vets may be forced to wait another four years

July 10, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Legal, UK | antinuclear, cancer, nuclear weapons, radiation, reactors