Former defence minister Tobias Ellwood has called for an apology from the Prime Minister and a compensation scheme for British nuclear test veterans. Writing on 2 September 2026, Mr Ellwood stated that he inadvertently misled parliament in December 2018 regarding blood samples taken from service personnel during nuclear bomb tests.
At the time, he relayed information from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) that it was "unable to locate any information" suggesting blood samples had been taken for radiological monitoring. He now states that these samples were taken across armed services branches, but veterans seeking compensation for illnesses have been unable to access them.
A government discovery exercise, ordered in 2024 and with findings published in July 2026, indicated that medical examinations or blood testing were required for "the majority, if not all" of Britain’s nuclear-testing period, across all three armed services. The review, however, stated it found no evidence of intentional concealment.
Mr Ellwood highlighted that over 20,000 armed forces personnel took part in nuclear tests and radiation experiments, mostly between 1952 and 1967. He noted that other nuclear nations, such as the US and France, have acknowledged similar events and created dedicated compensation schemes for their nuclear test veterans.