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Ministry of Defence

Answer

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his policy of providing compensation to invalided soldiers, medical auxiliaries and their families suffering from illness arising from serving in the Gulf War. [68259] Dr. Moonie: No-fault compensation for United Kingdom service personnel disabled as a result of their service is provided through the War Pension Scheme (WPS). The WPS applies to all those who have served in the UK forces. Veterans may also be eligible for an Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) occupational pension and, if they have been medically discharged, this is supplemented by attributable benefits linked to the degree of disability or non-attributable benefits linked to length of service, whichever is the greater. Both the WPS and AFPS provide benefits to the dependants of veterans who have died. The Ministry of Defence has about 2,000 active notices from Gulf veterans and members of their families of their intention to claim common law compensation in respect of illness allegedly arising from the Gulf conflict. However, we have still yet to receive any writs or claims of sufficient detail to allow these cases to be taken forward. When compensation claims are submitted against the MOD, they are considered on the basis of whether or not the Department has a legal liability to pay compensation. Where there is a legal liability to pay compensation we do so.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

68259; 389 c493-4W;389 c491W

Session

2001-02

Subjects

Compensation Diseases Iraq-Kuwait conflict Gulf War syndrome Veterans

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk