From Hansaard:

15 Jan 2008 : Column 1143-4W

Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the United Kingdom voted on the United Nations General Assembly Resolution on the effects of the use of armaments and ammunitions containing depleted uranium, A/C.1.62/L.18/REV/i, on 5 December 2007; which other states voted in the same way; and what the reasons were for the UK vote. [177842]

Meg Munn: The UK opposed the resolution on the effects of the use of armaments and ammunitions containing depleted uranium at the UN General Assembly's First Committee. Israel, US, Netherlands and the Czech Republic also voted against the resolution.

The current consensus of scientific and medical experts, including reports published by the Royal Society, is that the use of depleted uranium for military purposes has not had any significant impact on the health of veterans or civilian populations. The UK is also aware that the US National Academy of Sciences is currently carrying out an independent review of the type mentioned in the resolution.

Meg Munn is the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and Labour MP for Sheffield Heeley.