Hon MEKA WHAITIRI: In 2005, a report of the Joint Working Group on Concerns of Viet Nam Veterans to the Government comprised three main major themes: acknowledging the past, putting things right, and improving services to Vietnam veterans. These themes form the basis of the measures and support agreed to in the memorandum of understanding. The Government does take seriously its commitment to the veterans who served in Vietnam. The MOU was signed in 2006, after the Helen Clark Government accepted that the exposure of service personnel to dioxide-contaminated herbicides and other chemicals was a major contributor to the ongoing suffering of veterans and their families. The MOU defines these conditions as those that appear on United States National Academy of Sciences' list of conditions where there is "sufficient evidence of association between the chemicals of interest, in this case, Agent Orange, and health outcomes." This list is based on an overview of international research and databases dealing with the association between herbicides, such as Agent Orange, and particular health conditions.