Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress the Government has made on the roll out of veteran's ID cards.
Answered by Leo Docherty
I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave on 20 September 2021 to Question 47041 to the hon. Member for Portsmouth South (Stephen Morgan).
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many claims for asbestos-related diseases his Department has settled with apprentice electricians and electricians or former apprentice electricians and electricians alleging exposure to dust who were employed at the Rosyth shipyard at any time between 1942 and 1954.
Answered by Johnny Mercer
The information requested relating to apprentice electricians and electricians or former apprentice electricians and electricians is not held as claimant trades are not recorded.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many compensation claims for asbestos-related disease from employees or former employees who were employed as Electrical Overseers and who allege their exposure occurred at a shipyard in the UK between 1965 and 1989 have been settled by his Department.
Answered by Johnny Mercer
The information requested relating to employees or former employees who were employed as electrical overseers is not held as claimant trades are not recorded.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to NHS care for veterans.
Answered by Anna Soubry
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has made no such assessment, since the NHS is responsible for access to care for veterans. The NHS also makes no such assessment as their services are available to all, based on clinical need. The vast majority of Service leavers are fit and well, and no individual who is injured in the course of their duty will leave the Armed Forces until it is right for them to do so, however long that takes. For this reason, when an individual is medically discharged from the Armed Forces, the MOD has a Transition Protocol in place for the effective smooth transition of their health and social care needs to local public providers.
The Transition Protocol was reviewed earlier this year, as part of the House of Commons Defence Committee inquiry into Military Casualties. NHS England and the Devolved Administrations all reported that the Protocol is working well. Any issues which do arise are handled through the Defence Recovery Strategy Group, who are charged with ensuring full compliance with the Protocol.
In addition, the Armed Forces Covenant specifies that veterans should enjoy the same standard of healthcare by the NHS as any other UK citizen in the area where they live, and receive priority, subject to the clinical needs of others, for conditions resulting from Service. The NHS and the Devolved Administrations are signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant, and the NHS in England is mandated to meet this commitment.