House of Lords
Thursday, 11 October 2007.
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty’s Government: What further consideration they are giving to the problems and needs of veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf War, who have still undiagnosed illnesses, and of the families of those who have died since the conflict.
Lord Morris of Manchester: My Lords, while I am grateful to my noble friend, is it not disquieting that, 17 years on from the conflict, wrangling with veterans over pensions still drags on, with no visible sign of closure? Can he now at least make it clear that Gulf War syndrome will be fully recognised as a meaningful condition by the MoD, both publicly and when making assessment decisions, as it is by the Pensions Appeal Tribunal?
Finally, is it not deeply shaming that Gulf War veteran Terence Walker, whose case I raised orally earlier this year, his pension having been cut from 100 per cent to 40 per cent, died shortly after being left, together with dependent children—to quote his own words—“in financial ruin”? What sort of appreciation does that betoken of those prepared to lay down their lives for this country?
Lord Drayson: My Lords, my noble friend is absolutely right to raise these issues, as he has over many years. The issue of Gulf War syndrome will be fully recognised by the Ministry of Defence, and I accept on behalf of the Ministry of Defence that this issue has not been handled well from the beginning. The department was slow to recognise the emerging ill health issues and to put measures in place to address them. We have apologised for this, and I repeat that apology today.
With regard to the specific case that my noble friend mentions, I should also like to apologise on behalf of the Ministry of Defence to Mr Walker’s family. The Ministry of Defence made a mistake, and it has written to the Walker family to make that clear.
Bbb comment: Here,(marked in red) we have the first public admission that the MOD is now recognising Gulf War Syndrome, nearly 3 years after "Lloyd" and 16 years after the end of the 1990/91 conflict.
However, this is only 1 of the 3 "R"s and we want to see the Government embracing the recommendations of The Lloyd Report and providing recompense to Veterans before it is too late. An apology means nothing.
25 July 2007 : Column 1077W
Gulf War Syndrome
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from the Royal British Legion on Gulf War illnesses. [152370]
Derek Twigg: The Royal British Legion (RBL), Gulf War Group, recently published a policy paper entitled “Gulf War: a legacy of suspicion” on concerns with respect to 1990-91 Gulf veterans’ illnesses. I was sent a copy of this following my attendance at their conference to consider the points raised by the report. I will provide them with a formal response, explaining our position on the policy priorities set out in the document.
Bbb comment: The conference was on 9 May 2007 and Mr Twigg was in attendance, was presented with the policy paper, and indeed, addressed the conference. We would refer Mr Twigg to Paragraph 224 of the Lloyd Report: .... "the picture is already sufficiently clear to enable the MOD to acknowledge forthwith that the illnesses of the Gulf War veterans, who have had their claims accepted, are attributable to their service in the Gulf. To wait for further research into the pathology would, after fourteen years (now 16 years), be a denial of justice to the veterans."
Gulf War Syndrome: Ex Gratia Payments
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make an ex gratia payment to Gulf War veterans who have suffered illnesses; and if he will make a statement. [152367]
25 July 2007 : Column 1078W
Derek Twigg: Gulf veterans receive compensation proportionate to the seriousness of their disablement in the form of war pensions and attributable armed forces pensions, in the same way as other ex-servicemen or women who suffer illness or injury as a result of their service. The Ministry of Defence has no plans to make an ex gratia payment to Gulf War Veterans.
Bbb comment: We are in a parliamentary circle here. From the résumé of the Lloyd Report we have:
"10. We come last to the question of compensation. This did not figure largely in the evidence of the veterans themselves. But it figured in the evidence of Lord Craig, Major General Craig, Paul Tyler MP, Michael Mates MP, Colonel Terence English and others. Lord Craig (Lord Craig of Radley, Marshal of the Royal Air Force, Chief of the Defence Staff throughout the Gulf War) said that the absence of closure after so many years was now indefensible. “A little magnanimity” was called for, and an “imaginative one-off approach”. Mr Mates told us that what was needed was a political act of will.
Sounds like a backward step to the "No" response from Mr Twigg and the government then!
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Iraq-Kuwait Conflict: Gulf War Syndrome
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the case for establishing a public inquiry to examine illnesses resulting from the Gulf War; and if he will make a statement. [149989]
Derek Twigg: It has been the Government’s policy since 1997 to be open and transparent about Gulf veterans’ issues, including the publication of all relevant documents. We have identified and published the lessons of the past, accepting that mistakes were made in 1990-91, particularly with regard to medical record keeping. The Government’s view is that there are no substantive issues to be addressed by a public inquiry and that, in particular, it would not help to resolve the long outstanding issue of why veterans are ill; only scientific research might do this. We have funded a substantial programme of research designed to address the key candidate causes so far put forward, but recognising that it would not be sensible to duplicate work being undertaken elsewhere.
Bbb comment: We are sorry Mr Twigg but the last statement there "does not wash". What are the details of this "substantial programme of research designed to address the key candidates" ? We would agree though that there is no need for a public enquiry, Gordon Brown just needs to stand behind and implement the recommendations of The Lloyd Report that was an independently funded inquiry and which published it's report in November 2004 as you know. We have asked Gordon Brown to do this.
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