Asked by: Baroness Barker (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Goldie on 13 July (HL8900), whether the RAF considered the recent HIV policy changes in civil aviation as part of its evidence review on HIV in the context of aviation.
Answered by Baroness Goldie - Shadow Minister (Defence)
Recent policy changes in civil aviation were considered in the formulation of the Royal Air Force policy regarding HIV and the Aircrew Profession which was endorsed by a tri-Service committee comprised of medical specialists. The Chief Medical Officer of the Civil Aviation Authority and the Senior Medical Officer of the National Air Traffic Control Service are members of this committee to ensure appropriate benchmarking of military aviation medicine policy against civilian standards.
Asked by: Baroness Barker (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Goldie on 13 July (HL8900), which HIV specialists were consulted as part of the RAF evidence review into pilots and air traffic controllers living with HIV.
Answered by Baroness Goldie - Shadow Minister (Defence)
The Royal Air Force consulted a range of primary and secondary care physicians during the development of the Aviation Medical policy relating to HIV for the Aircrew Profession. This included specialists in HIV, Infectious Diseases, Occupational Medicine, Aerospace Medicine, Aviation Psychiatry and Psychology and General Medicine as well as several General Practitioners with advanced training in Aviation Medicine.
Asked by: Baroness Barker (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Goldie on 13 July (HL8900), whether the British HIV Association was consulted as part of the RAF evidence review of pilots and air traffic controllers living with HIV.
Answered by Baroness Goldie - Shadow Minister (Defence)
British HIV Association (BHIVA) guidance was central to the formulation of the policy on HIV and the Aircrew profession. While not directly consulted, BHIVA provided evidence and support to the wider review which informed the decision making on the policy outlined in Joint Service Publication 950 regarding individuals living with HIV serving in the UK Armed Forces.
Asked by: Baroness Barker (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Goldie on 13 July (HL8900), whether they will publish the RAF’s evidence review on HIV in the context of aviation.
Answered by Baroness Goldie - Shadow Minister (Defence)
The Royal Air Force do not intend to publish the evidence review that informed the policy changes for HIV and the Aircrew Profession.
The Royal Air Force’s evidence review was principally based upon work previously published by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and UK Civil Aviation Authority guidelines on HIV in the context of aviation. The RAF benchmarked this evidence against the usual standards and risk thresholds that underpin military aviation safety.
Asked by: Baroness Barker (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for the Armed Forces on 14 March 2022 (136647), whether their commitment to lift barriers to people living with HIV joining and serving in the military has been fully implemented, including for pilots and air traffic controllers.
Answered by Baroness Goldie - Shadow Minister (Defence)
Policy changes were introduced on 21 June 2022 allowing those living with HIV to join and serve in the Armed Forces. Candidates or serving personnel must be stable on their treatment and have detectable viral loads within the specified parameters.
The RAF has undertaken a detailed examination of the latest scientific evidence covering the HIV illness and medication effects within the context of the standards of aviation medical safety. This included input from a wide range of experts in military aviation medicine, HIV and occupational medicine specialists.
The HIV policy for currently serving Aircrew and Controller roles has been approved and individuals who are HIV+ or taking PrEP will be assessed for medical fitness to fly in accordance with safety policy.
Candidates who are HIV+ are currently considered unfit for service in Aircrew and Controller roles, aligned with current medical policy where medical conditions preclude entry.
Asked by: Baroness Barker (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many veterans were discharged due to their HIV status between 1982 and 2020.
Answered by Baroness Goldie - Shadow Minister (Defence)
Between 1 January 1995 and 31 December 2022, 44 UK Regular Armed Forces personnel were medically discharged with HIV cited as the principal or contributory cause. Both principal and contributory causes have been included as it is possible for personnel to be medically discharged for multiple medical reasons.
Medical discharges for personnel leaving the Services between 1982 and 1995 are held in individual's service records and are not centrally compiled by the Ministry of Defence.
Asked by: Baroness Barker (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have for HIV be part of the LGBT Veterans Independent Review; and if none, why.
Answered by Baroness Goldie - Shadow Minister (Defence)
While HIV is not an issue exclusive to the LGBT+ community and, therefore, was not specified in the Terms of Reference for the LGBT Veterans Independent Review, Defence recognises the importance of the subject to the community. The Ministry of Defence, jointly with the Office for Veterans Affairs in the Cabinet Office, commissioned the Review to gain further insight into the lived experience of our LGBT+ veterans and facilitate the creation of a more inclusive future for all. The broad Terms of Reference enable the Review to consider the lived experience of LGBT+ personnel who also had HIV. The full terms of reference are available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/terms-of-reference-for-the-lgbt-veterans-independent-review/terms-of-reference-independent-review-into-service-and-experience-of-lgbt-veterans-who-served-prior-to-2000
It is important to note that, regardless of sexuality, under policies in place at the time anyone with HIV would have been prevented from serving or medically discharged. Contemporary policy was based on specialist medical opinion and included consideration of the risk to the individual if operational circumstances precluded access to essential medication or specialist services; and the cost-benefit of training an individual with a chronic medical condition in a fixed liability organisation. How the virus was contracted was not relevant; simply having HIV disqualified individuals from Service until 21 June 2022.