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Armed Forces: Wounded Personnel

asked Her Majesty’s Government whether they will issue medals to all British military personnel who have been seriously wounded in the Afghan and Iraqi campaigns. The noble Lord said: As a former journalist, it pains me to say that the number of occasions on which I am able to pay genuine tribute to the work of the press are sadly limited. However, this afternoon is a rare exception. I make no bones about saying that I have taken an interest in the subject before Members of the Committee this afternoon—well off my usual beat, as some people will realise—wholly and solely because of the Daily Mirror’s splendid campaign on behalf of our troops. The Daily Mirror’s work has been in the best traditions of popular journalism: passionate, yet scrupulously researched. I remember the remark of the great Harry Evans, under whom I briefly served when he was editor of the Sunday Times, who said, ““Your campaign is only working when your readers start to get bored with it””, in reference to a Sunday Times campaign on cones in roads. The Daily Mirror has been willing to run that risk by persevering with this campaign when others have been satisfied to fill their columns with gossip and girls. That persistence has been most admirable. I also pay tribute to Colonel Richard Kemp CBE, who once led our forces in Afghanistan and who has been as gutsy in this campaign for recognition as he was in that one. They have been not only admirable and gutsy, but successful. My third tribute is to the Government: Ministers have listened. When I first tabled my Question, it called for medals for the killed as well as for the wounded. That is no longer necessary, as the Government have now agreed that Britons who lose their lives in the tragic conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan should be recognised with an appropriate medal. It therefore only remains to push the door open a little wider, and extend that recognition, as my Question asks, to the seriously wounded. Of course, anybody who joins our Armed Forces does so in full knowledge of the potential personal costs they may pay for their patriotism. However, it is my contention that the wars we are considering here are different from those we fought in the past in a way that makes recognition more desirable. The fact is that our nation has been divided over these conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Not only have the men and women involved had to face enemy fire, but they have suffered the ricochets of friendly fire from those in Britain who believe these wars to have been misjudged. Are they risking their lives in a good cause? That is not a situation that troops in most conflicts have had to face. Generally, wars fought by Britain have been those where the nation stood behind its Government’s course. At a time when surveys are showing some problems with service morale—not of the individuals involved but their feelings about how the services as a whole are keeping their morale up—we need to do the right thing. Let us show our soldiers, our airmen and our sailors—let us let their families, their sons and daughters, and their sons' sons and daughters’ daughters know—that we as a nation understand and empathise with what they are going through: a life which few of us have had the experience to appreciate. Whatever our views on the cause—and I think there are different views within this Room—we are, as we have always been, united in our admiration for their professionalism and our sympathy for their sacrifices. We need to show that we care. I am not sure that the opposition to what is proposed comes from Ministers. Reading the words, I fear that others stand behind the Ministers; namely, some of our senior servicemen. Without making too much of it, I find it slightly ironic that top brass—many of whom like nothing better than to parade with a chest bedecked with medals of all kinds—should be resistant to granting any similar recognition to the men and women who serve under them. One of the arguments to be heard thundering round the corridors of power is that such an award would be unprecedented. When you come to think of it, so was the first ever Victoria Cross—so is every medal when it is first awarded—and so, very relevantly, was the first Purple Cross, awarded more than 200 years ago, which our American cousins and allies across the Atlantic award to their servicepeople in similar circumstances. Another argument is that it is difficult to draw a distinction between seriously injured people and others, wounded or not. However, that is implicit in the awarding of any medal. One has to decide what deserves a VC, an MC or any other medal. It requires very fine judgments, which are hard to make. At least this medal would have an objective justification—namely, a serious injury—and I do not believe that that is beyond the power of humankind to resolve. I cannot help observing that very few serious injuries are suffered by those sitting behind large desks in the Ministry of Defence. In another place, an Early Day Motion arguing for these medals became the most popular in this Session of Parliament, with over half the House signing it. Of course, Ministers cannot sign EDMs but a very clear majority of Back-Benchers did so. I regret that this House does not have an EDM system, more’s the pity. According to the Procedure Committee, to which I put this proposal the other week, that is because Members have other ways of drawing ministerial attention to worthy causes. I hope that that purpose will be served by my Question today and that noble Lords—both those who are here to discuss it and those who are absent for one reason or another but support my proposal—will make their point. Of those who have to be absent, my noble friend Lady Symons has asked me to signify her very strong support—she is at an important international conference on defence—and so has my noble friend Lady Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde, who is currently busily engaged on the Pensions Bill. I wanted to draw this matter to the Minister’s attention and I hope that it will be given serious consideration. I greatly look forward to the debate. I thank all noble Lords who are taking part in it and await the Minister’s answer with keen interest.