The Hon Bruce Billson MP
Minister for Veterans' Affairs
Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence
Federal Member for Dunkley

Dr John R Carroll
Honorary Secretary
HMAS Sydney & VLSV Association (VIC)

Dear John,

Thank you for your letter of 23 April 2006 concerning exposure of Navy Personnel to herbicides during the Vietnam war. I apologise for the delay in responding.

I have noted your concerns and I appreciate the time and consideration you put into your detailed and comprehensive correspondence.

I assure you that the issues you have raised have been taken into consideration in the current studies of mortality and cancer incidence in Australian Vietnam veterans.

The Nominal Roll of Vietnam Veterans was extensively reviewed as part of the study process and as a result a large number of names were added to it and consequently to the Study Roll. Also, a number of additional voyages to Vietnam for Royal Australian Navy (RAN) veterans already listed were added to both rolls. The assistance of Australian Vietnam Veterans Logistic Support associations in this process was greatly appreciated.

My Department continues to ensure that the Nominal Roll of Vietnam Veterans is as comprehensive and accurate as possible, and the databases are continuously updated.

You may also be interested to know that the commemorative Nominal Roll of Vietnam Veterans will be published on the internet in August this year. It will initially comprise the limited roll published by my Department in 1997, but a more comprehensive roll will be completed in August 2007. Further information is available by contacting 1300 780 133 or by e-mail to nominal.rolls@dva.gov.au.

I have also noted your concern regarding the Repatriation Medical Authority's (RMA) minimum 30 day requirement for service in Vietnam or Vietnamese waters before certain conditions can be reasonably linked to the consumption of contaminated water during that service.

The role of the RMA is to determine Statements of Principles (SOPs) for any disease, injury or death that could be related to military service, based on the most up-to-date national and international sound medical-scientific evidence. Each SOP sets out the factors that must as a minimum exist for a particular kind of injury, disease or death, to be considered service-related. This system of compensation is not directly comparable with the US system, which has a different legal basis.

Recently the RMA has amended seven SOPs that had an existing factor relating to Vietnam service, incorporating the exposure to dioxins for Vietnam Navy veterans. In addition to specific Vietnam factors, there are a number of SOPs which contain a factor referring to inhaling, ingesting or having cutaneous contact with a chemical agent contaminated by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin (TCDD), whilst other SOPs contain a factor referring to the presence of a serum 2,3,7,8-TCDD level of a specified level at the time of the clinical onset of the particular disease.

SOPs which contain one or more of these dioxin-related factors are myeloma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's lymphoma, malignant neoplasm of the prostate, malignant neoplasm of the larynx, malignant neoplasm of the lung, soft tissue sarcoma, diabetes, endometriosis, peripheral neuropathy, porphyria cutanea tarda and chloracne.

In the case of the conditions that can be associated with exposure to dioxins through the consumption of contaminated water in Vietnam, the RMA has reviewed the medical-scientific evidence and determined that exposure must have occurred for a minimum of 30 days before the condition can be reasonably linked to that exposure. This represents the minimum dose or exposure for which a reasonable hypothesis could be raised for a causal association between the exposure and the outcome under investigation, after consideration of available biological and epidemiologic data.

Although SOPs are legally binding, reviews of RMA decisions can be requested. I have enclosed an information sheet on this matter which I hope will be useful to you.

With reference to your letter of 6 February 2006 to the Hon Chris Pearce MP, a response was sent to Mr Pearce on 21 April 2006. As there has been no change in the legislation determining operational service, and therefore eligibility for inclusion on the Nominal Roll of Vietnam Veterans, your past submissions concerning Lieutenant EG Kennell RAN and Lieutenant Commander Ferguson RANR are sufficient.

I hope to receive the finalised reports from the current studies into mortality and cancer incidence in Australian Vietnam veterans shortly and will then make the results available to the veteran community. Once the study reports have been released, they will be available electronically on my Department's website or in hard copy from the Canberra office.

I hope this information is of assistance to you.

Yours Sincerely

Bruce Billson

23 Aug 2006