Written question asked by John Battle (Labour) on Wednesday, 9 December 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 14 December 2009. It was answered by Lord Beamish (Labour) on Monday, 14 December 2009 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Armed Forces: Mental Health Services

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers prescribed medication for psychological problems following active service have been posted back to active service in Iraq.

Answer: Specific details of the number of personnel prescribed medication for mental health disorders as a result of active service and who have returned to operational duties are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the individual medical records of members of the armed forces are examined by medical staff prior to deployment and the armed forces use a medical grading system which considers both mental and physical health. Both of these factors mean that personnel are not sent on operational deployment if their medical history gives any significant cause for concern.

Secondary information