Over 33,000 former soldiers are thought to suffer from illnesses related to their service. The illnesses come under the title of ‘Gulf War Syndrome’ and include chronic fatigue, headaches, sleep disturbances, joint pains, irritable bowel, stomach disorders, respiratory disorders and psychological problems. The British Legion said that too little was known about the condition and the Government should fund more research into it. The Ministry of Defence said it was always open to new research proposals, but the overwhelming consensus of the scientific and medical community is that the range of symptoms is too broad for this ill-health to be characterised as a syndrome in medical terms. More than 60% of the 50,000 members of the armed forces deployed in 1991 now suffer from illnesses related to the conflict. Nearly 10,000 receive a war pension, the only financial aid any ex-service personnel with an illness due to service can get.