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Armed Forces: Wounded Personnel

I, too, add my thanks to those offered to the noble Lord, Lord Lipsey, for introducing this debate. He made some very interesting points. I am in complete agreement with him about the bravery and dedication of our Armed Forces and their work in dangerous and challenging circumstances. I also agree with the noble Lord about the Daily Mirror campaign and with what he said about Colonel Kemp, whom I saw speaking eloquently on the ““Breakfast”” programme this morning. The noble Lord is quite right that it is essential for the Government and Parliament to do all they can to ensure that military personnel are properly rewarded for their work. Medals are an important tool in their being given recognition by this country. My noble friend Lord Attlee spoke eloquently. I agree with him that the Government should move cautiously on this issue. I have spoken to a number of service men and women from my former regiment—I am honorary colonel of a TA regiment—and almost to a man and a woman they agree with what my noble friend Lord Attlee said. I also congratulate my noble friend on setting such a good example yesterday by coming to work in his uniform. My party has promised that when we are in government we will review the rules set out by the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals. We will set up an honours and decorations committee to ensure that they are consistent and appropriate. We can in this way ensure that the awarding of a medal is consistent and appropriate. Although, as the noble Lord, Lord Lipsey, said, there is a precedent of a medal for the wounded in this country’s military history, new medals should not be awarded on an ad hoc basis. Meanwhile, we must remember the number of military personnel who have been wounded or killed. No medal will ever make up for the lack of, for instance, body armour that led to the injury in the first place. Death and injury are a tragic but unavoidable part of war; death and injury as a result of inadequate equipment are most certainly not. Two weeks ago, I drew attention at Question Time to the Government’s decision in 2004 to cut the helicopter budget by £1.4 billion, thus necessitating the use of ground vehicles, which are more vulnerable to attack in evacuating the wounded. My concerns are widely shared. A recent Ministry of Defence survey showed that more than 50 per cent of service men and women were dissatisfied with the equipment provided. When reports reach the media that front-line troops have on occasion run out of ammunition, it is clear that the situation needs drastic improvement. The Minister will no doubt claim that the Government have learnt from their mistakes and are now taking the supply of front-line troops more seriously. I hope that that is the case—I think that it is. I also freely acknowledge another area where the Government have finally listened to my party and say how pleased I am that a new military ward has been opened at Birmingham hospital. I hope that many more will follow. Proper medical facilities for the wounded should not be an optional extra. Like the noble Lord, Lord Lee of Trafford, we on these Benches welcome measures set out in today’s service personnel Command Paper increasing the compensation payments for personnel suffering injuries due to their service. I have wandered a little from the original topic of the debate, but recognition of the work that our Armed Forces are undertaking and appreciation of the dangers to which they are exposed do not rest on fine words and ceremony. Speeches in Parliament must be backed up by proper support in the field.