Asked by: Lucy Allan (Independent - Telford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve mental health support for (a) veterans and (b) serving Military personnel in (i) Telford constituency, ii) Telford and Wrekin borough, (iii) Shropshire, and (iv) the West Midlands.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is absolutely committed to the mental health of our Service personnel, providing robust training, welfare support and development opportunities. When necessary, we ensure that both serving personnel and veterans are given the mental healthcare and treatment they need. We do this by working in close partnership with a variety of different organisations, including the NHS (which is responsible for the provision of healthcare, including mental healthcare, for veterans) and Service charities such as Combat Stress.
Recent initiatives include the new partnership, announced last October, with the Royal Foundation, aimed at helping maintain and develop good mental fitness. And in February 2018, the Secretary of State announced that we have built on our existing partnership with Combat Stress to provide a new MOD-funded Military Mental Health Helpline for serving personnel and their families, providing out-of-hours advice and assistance and running in conjunction with the charity's existing helpline for the veterans' community. We will also be providing an additional £2 million of annual funding for military mental health services, on top of the £20 million a year we already spend.
Mental health services are already provided for serving personnel through a network of 20 permanent locations, comprising 11 Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMHs); six Mental Health Teams (MHTs); and three locations with a permanent Community Mental Health Nurse. DCMH Donnington is located in Telford itself, and covers the regions of the West Midlands (including Shropshire) and Wales. It also provides a visiting clinic four times a week to Defence Medical Services (DMS) Whittington in South Staffordshire, to improve access for patients based in or around the West Midlands.
Personnel leaving the Armed Forces who have had mental health issues during their Service are eligible to access services at a local DCMH, including Donnington, for up to six months after discharge, to help them during the transition period. A Veterans' Transition Protocol ensures any Service person discharged with a diagnosed mental health disorder is handed over appropriately to the NHS in England. Where a Service person is leaving the Armed Forces but has enduring need for mental healthcare, we work in partnership with NHS England through the Veterans Mental Health Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service (VMH-TILS), to ensure continuity of care.
The VMH-TILS provider for the Midlands and East of England (which includes the Telford constituency, Telford and Wrekin Borough, Shropshire and the West Midlands) is the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust. The service provides a range of treatment and support for veterans, as well as Armed Forces personnel approaching discharge. The VMH-TILS will arrange for veterans to be referred if necessary to the NHS England Veterans' Mental Health Complex Treatment Service (VMH-CTS) which will be launched on 1 April 2018; the Service Provider for the Telford constituency, Telford and Wrekin Borough, Shropshire and the West Midlands is Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.
Other services available from MOD to veterans in the West Midlands and elsewhere include the Veterans and Reserves Mental Health Programme (VRMHP), for veterans that have served since 1982 and Reservists with operational service overseas since 2003 (also provided through DCMH Donnington), as well as the Veterans UK and Veterans Welfare Service.
Asked by: Lucy Allan (Independent - Telford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what support networks are available for (a) armed services personnel and (b) veterans who experience mental ill health.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is absolutely committed to ensuring that both serving personnel and veterans are given the mental health treatment and support they need. We do this by working in close partnership with a variety of different organisations, including the NHS (which is responsible for the provision of healthcare, including mental healthcare, for veterans) and Service charities such as Combat Stress.
All three Services provide regular briefings on mental health issues, ranging from ways to maintain good mental health to recognising the signs of ill health and what to do if personnel have any concerns. To back up the extensive range of treatments that are provided, a wide range of associated support networks are also available for both personnel and their families, including welfare officers, padres, regimental organisations, online resources such as the 'Big White Wall', and various helplines that are available 24 hours a day.
We have also been looking at ways to develop innovative new partnerships with charities, such as that announced in October 2017 with the Royal Foundation, aimed at helping maintain and develop good mental fitness. Furthermore, in February the Secretary of State announced that we have built on our existing partnership with Combat Stress to provide a new MOD-funded Military Mental Health Helpline for serving personnel and their families, providing out-of-hours advice and assistance and running in conjunction with the charity's existing helpline for the veterans' community.
Personnel leaving the Armed Forces who have had mental health issues during their Service are able to access services at their nearest MOD Department of Community Mental Health (DCMH) for up to six months after discharge, to help them during the transition period. A Veterans' Transition Protocol ensures any Service person discharged with a diagnosed mental health disorder is handed over appropriately to the NHS in England. Where a Service person is leaving the Armed Forces but has enduring need for mental healthcare, we work in partnership with NHS England through the Veterans Mental Health Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service (VMH-TILS), to ensure continuity of care.
Service leavers receive a Service Leavers' Pack (compiled by Veterans UK) which contains information on support provision from charities such as the Royal British Legion and Soldiers', Sailors, Airmen and Families Association. These organisations have the facility to signpost to relevant mental health support agencies as required. Since October 2010, the Veterans' Information Service has contacted Service leavers by email or post 12 months after discharge to remind them of the range of mental health and other support available in the community. This includes the original Combat Stress 24-hour mental health helpline for veterans and their families, and the Veterans UK Veterans Welfare Service, which provides a national network of Welfare Managers to provide help and advice Service to veterans, their families and dependants.
The Veterans' Gateway (VG) also provides a single point of contact for veterans and their families to get the right information, advice and support, either through one telephone number or the fully transactional website. Their cases are owned by trained welfare officers, many of whom are veterans, and directed to relevant specialist organisations for assistance.
Asked by: Lucy Allan (Independent - Telford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information his Department holds on the rate of New Stores Rejects for his Department's contracts with Babcock International.
Answered by Guto Bebb
Babcock is the second largest supplier to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) covering a range of equipment, capability and services across the maritime, air and land domains.
Appropriate processes are in place to allow the MOD to reject goods that do not conform to the requirements of a contract. Detailed information regarding New Stores Rejects is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Lucy Allan (Independent - Telford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what arrangements his Department has in place to monitor Babcock International's performance and safety record.
Answered by Guto Bebb
Babcock is a key supplier to the Ministry of Defence and the company's relationship with the Department is managed at a strategic level through a key supplier representative. This role is currently undertaken by the Chief of Materiel (Ships) within Defence Equipment and Support, who engages with Babcock on a regular basis. Project and safety performance reviews form a significant element of these discussions.
With regards to safety, appropriate measures are in place to reduce risk and these are rigorously monitored to ensure that any emerging issues are identified and addressed.
Asked by: Lucy Allan (Independent - Telford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment his Department has made of the performance of Babcock International against agreed Key Performance Indicators in respect of his Department's live contracts with that company.
Answered by Guto Bebb
Babcock is a key supplier to the Ministry of Defence and the company's relationship with the Department is managed at a strategic level through a key supplier representative. This role is currently undertaken by the Chief of Materiel (Ships) within Defence Equipment and Support, who engages with Babcock on a regular basis. Project and safety performance reviews form a significant element of these discussions.
With regards to safety, appropriate measures are in place to reduce risk and these are rigorously monitored to ensure that any emerging issues are identified and addressed.
Asked by: Lucy Allan (Independent - Telford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many contracts his Department has in place with Babcock International; what the lengths of those contracts are; and what their date of expiry is.
Answered by Guto Bebb
Babcock is the second largest supplier to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) with 292 contracts currently in place, worth more than £20.2 billion. These contracts cover a range of equipment, capability and services across the maritime, air and land domains. The length of these contracts range from one month to 29 years, with the latest expiry date being in 2038.
Information about the contracts that we place with industry is available on GOV.uk as part of our MOD Trade, Industry and Contracts statistics:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-trade-industry-and-contracts-2017
In addition, MOD contracts worth over £10,000 are published on the Government's Contracts Finder website, which is available on GOV.uk at: https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder.