Written question asked by Gerald Howarth (Conservative) on Tuesday, 24 February 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 9 March 2004. It was answered by Ivor Caplin (Labour) on Tuesday, 9 March 2004 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Ministry of Defence

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many complaints his Department has received from ex-service personnel and their families who have applied for the campaign medal for those ex-service personnel who served in the Suez Canal Zone between 1951 and 1954 about delays in the processing of their claims. - Inc figures.

Answer: Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints his Department has received from ex-service personnel and their families who have applied for the campaign medal for those ex- service personnel who served in the Suez Canal Zone between 1951 and 1954 about delays in the processing of their claims. [156928] Mr. Caplin: In recent months the Ministry of Defence has received over 34,000 applications for the new Canal Zone medal. In addition, the medal offices and secretariat branches which deal with this subject have received several hundred letters and an unquantifiable number of telephone calls from veterans or their families asking for some indication of the progress of their claim. Less than 50 letters or calls could be described as `complaints' and once the situation has been explained to them the majority of correspondents have been satisfied with the response.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 418 c1405W;418 c1407W; 156928
Session: 2003-04
Subjects: Complaints Administrative delays Military decorations Suez (Egypt) General Service Medal Veterans
Contains statistics: Yes
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk