Nick Timothy, Conservative MP for West Suffolk, asked the Ministry of Defence on 25th July 2024 whether the eligibility criteria for the Nuclear Test Medal could be amended to include UK service personnel who participated in Operation Bagpipes in 1954 and other US nuclear tests.
Al Carns, Parliamentary Under-Secretary and Minister for Veterans, responded on 6th September 2024, stating: “The Nuclear Test Medal was designed to recognise the unique contribution of those personnel who served at the locations in Australia and the Pacific where the UK Atmospheric Nuclear Test Programme, including clear-up operations, took place between 1952 and 1967. In particular, the Medal recognises the contribution made by these personnel to the development of the UK’s independent deterrent.”
He further clarified: “The agreed eligibility criteria for the Medal do not currently include UK personnel who were not present in the defined test areas, personnel who monitored nuclear tests conducted by other nations, or personnel who were present at later, non-atmospheric, tests.”
Carns added, “We recognise the sacrifices and the huge contribution that Nuclear Test Veterans have made to the UK’s security. The Secretary of State for Defence has directed the Department to look at the commemorative medal criteria, in consultation with other stakeholders.”
