Written question asked by Madeleine Moon (Labour) on Wednesday, 29 November 2017, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 4 December 2017 (named day). It was answered by Harriett Baldwin (Conservative) on Monday, 4 December 2017 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Minsitry of Defence: Disclosure of information

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department takes to ensure that it (a) seeks the permission of and (b) notifies in advance bereaved families who are named in its reports.

Answer: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) takes great care to respect the wishes of bereaved families. All reports issued by the MOD are redacted in accordance with the principles of data protection legislation, including the removal of names of bereaved family members. While the MOD does not require formal permission from bereaved family members to publish a Service Inquiry (SI), we recognise the sensitive nature of the material and will always endeavour to ensure that next-of-kin are made aware of pending publication. Bereaved families receive a redacted copy of the SI report before publication and are offered a briefing on its content.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 116529
Session: 2017-19
Related items: Ministry of Defence: Disclosure of Information
Wednesday, 13 December 2017
Written questions
House of Commons; Ministry of Defence: Disclosure of Information
Wednesday, 13 December 2017
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects: Disclosure of information Armed forces Families Publications Ministry of Defence
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk