(a) The measures taken to protect members of the Armed Forces and their dependents had been appropriate and showed that careful thought had been given to the issues involved. A lack of data, eg, on the nature of the particulate air pollution, meant that the efficacy of protective measures put in place could not be assessed but the measures were agreed to be comprehensive and likely to provide some benefit.

(b) For fit soldiers it was suggested by COMEAP that it would be unwise to try to define a level of pollution that should be regarded as unacceptable and an indication for withdrawal. The effects of air pollutants on troops should continue to be monitored by RAMC staff.

(c) As regards return of dependents to Brunei, it was agreed that it was not possible simply to define a level of pollution (eg, in terms of the PSI index) that should be regarded as "safe" and serve as a trigger to allow relocation. It was suggested by COMEAP that if levels of pollution did not exceed those commonly found in UK cities there would be a good case for allowing people to return to Brunei. Air pollutants in UK cities are monitored in a standard way. It was accepted that identical monitoring in Brunei was probably of little relevence to the special problems of wood/forest burning there. However, the UK Air Pollution Banding System (copy attached) provides advice on the expected effects on health of different levels of pollution recognising that in Brunei, the size and chemical composition of the particles may well be very different from that found in the UK. As a guide (and it cannot be more than a guide), data from the UK Particulate Matter Network for 1995, from Belfast and from the London Bloomsbury site are provided for information. COMEAP considered the evidence presented and the monitoring system and considered that it would be incongruous to prevent people going to Brunei when the country was "less polluted" than a UK city such as Belfast. Accepting equivalence between the nature of the pollutant gases and particles, it should be possible to decide on relocation back to Brunei by comparing local levels of pollution with those in Belfast and London and to provide advice based on the UK Air Pollution Banding System. DH officials will be glad to help with this as considered necessary.