Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what length of time is allocated to Ministry of Defence civilian staff for decompression adjustment following deployment in conflict zones.

The 24-hour Third Location Decompression (TLD) package exists to allow Service personnel and Ministry of Defence (MOD) Civilians returning from operational theatres the opportunity to re-adjust to routine work and family life. Not all personnel returning from operations will be required to undertake the TLD package; the assessment is based on the levels of risk and rigour to which deployed personnel have been exposed. There are no current operations where decompression is required, but this judgement is kept under regular review and Commanding Officers and managers may propose special action where the experience of an individual or unit is deemed to merit this. Service personnel and MOD Civilians on operational deployments which are not exposed to high intensity combat engagement or significant compressing factors will receive a series of briefings in Theatre within their final week prior to departure. The aim is to encourage a period of reflection, to engage if Trauma Risk Management intervention has been required, and to brief on some of the challenges that may confront an individual returning to a normal work and home pattern of life.