Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 17 November to Question 111719 on Armed Forces: Bereavement Counselling, (a) when the eight members attended the Visiting Officer course and (b) who provided the training; and if he will make a statement.

The Army's Bereavement and Aftercare Support (BAS) team are a part of the overall welfare process, with specific focus for the notification and aftercare support for casualties and bereaved families. The BAS team act in support of the Visiting Officer (VO) in the early stages of bereavement and once the time is right for the VO to be stood down, they provide the enduring support for the families.

The VO course is delivered by the Head of the Army BAS team and his training staff, and is mandatory for all VO and new members of the BAS team. The eight BAS staff attended the course between 2007 and 2017, according to when they joined the team.