Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether members of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service present at the nuclear test on Christmas Island are entitled to a pension of compensation.

Members of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) are civilians and may receive pensions for their Service under the terms of any civilian pension scheme to which they belonged. The Ministry of Defence does have a scheme to provide compensation to members of the RFA who suffer war injuries or detention, but this scheme does not cover peacetime activities, such as the nuclear tests on Christmas Island. However, other options may be sought such as recourse to common law claims under the Workmen’s Compensation Act or the Industrial Injuries Scheme.