Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of military veterans receiving support for (a) mental health and (b) alcohol related issues.

The provision of veterans' healthcare, including mental health and alcohol related issues, is primarily the responsibility of the National Health Service in England and the Devolved Administrations. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has not made an estimate of the number of veterans receiving such support.

The Government has made great progress with improving the services provided to meet veterans' mental health needs, including the implementation of all of the recommendations in my hon. Friend, the Member for South West Wiltshire, Dr Andrew Murrison's 'Fighting Fit' report.

These measures include: an increase in the number of mental healthcare professionals; a dedicated 24-hour helpline in partnership with Combat Stress; an on-line mental health support and advice website provided by the Big White Wall; structured mental health assessment as part of routine and discharge medicals; and the Veterans Information Service, who contact recent Service leavers to make them aware of mental health and other support available in the community. Veterans are entitled to priority access to healthcare for conditions suspected to be due to their service in the Armed Forces (subject to the clinical needs of others).

The MOD has a wide range of measures in place to discourage alcohol misuse in the Armed Forces, including education, training and treatment. Sensible, moderate consumption of alcohol can play an important part in the military culture, but the benefits must always be balanced against the hazards of misuse.