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31/August/1997

MoD working to counter threat of germ attack

THE Ministry of Defence has begun a major new research programme against plague, anthrax and other biological weapons amid indications of a growing germ warfare threat from the Middle East.

The experiments, at the MoD's high-security Porton Down laboratories, are into "new-generation" methods of protecting against biological warfare agents. It has been under way since at least 1995 and possibly 1993.

The research, part of which is being conducted jointly with a commercial biotechnology company, Cortecs International, is also investigating new ways of delivering anti-plague vaccines, such as through the mouth - suggesting a widespread civilian application.

News of the research emerged as the US Arms Control and Disarmament Agency reported last week that at least seven countries retain or are trying to obtain the capacity to produce biological weapons. China, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Libya and Russia are "probably" still active, says the US - even though all have signed a 1972 convention against biological warfare.

As The Sunday Telegraph reported last year, rogue Middle Eastern states dubbed "Club Mad" by analysts are striving to obtain ballistic missiles with the range to target Western Europe. The missiles might do little damage armed only with conventional warheads, but a 1993 study for the US Congress's Office of Technology Assessment found that an anthrax-loaded Scud missile could kill 10,000 people in an urban area.

Porton's research covers bubonic and pneumonic plague and anthrax - all toxins held by Saddam Hussein during the Gulf War. The work came to light after parliamentary answers to Matthew Taylor, Liberal Democrat MP for Truro, revealed massive rises in animal experiments at the Porton Down site. Animal experiments increased by 65 per cent in three years.

Rupert Cazalet, Porton's spokesman, said only that experiments had risen because the laboratory was doing more "investigative work" into new vaccines. "Technology is changing all the time and we have to keep up with it," he said.

But Dr Jeremy Lucke, chairman of the independent advisory committee appointed to oversee animal welfare at Porton, said: "A fair proportion of the rise is due to new work on plague and anthrax being carried out in response to intelligence assessments from the Middle East."

Experiments on animals rose from from 6,697 in 1993 to more than 11,000 in 1996 - an increase of two-thirds. The figures, given by ministers to Mr Taylor, contradict earlier ones in December 1995 which indicated a sharp decline.

Mr Taylor said last night: "My initial concern was an unexplained rise in animal experiments which appeared to be unnecessary. But I think people will be doubly worried at news that there is apparently a growing threat of germ warfare. They will want to know not only why animals are being used in this way, but what are the implications for the public."

The MoD said that the rise in experiments had nothing to do with studies into Gulf War syndrome, which Porton has recently begun work on. But a former investigator for the laboratory - assigned to the Gulf at the time of the war - claimed last year that his team had found evidence that biological weapons were used by Iraq against British troops.

Some of the buildings at Porton are in danger of breaching Home Office guidelines regulating animal experiments. The first report of Dr Lucke's advisory committee said "some buildings are old and have not kept pace with current expectations for animal accommodation". However, new buildings are expected to be ready in 1999 at a cost of £39 million.

Dr Lucke said the sharp rise in experiments was "something we are going to be looking at very closely. We want to be sure that all use of animals is fully justified, and to ensure the ethical systems in place work properly and are tough".