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19 Jul 2004 : Column 29W—continued
Lance-Corporal William Graham
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 14 June 2004, Official Report, column 644W, on Lance Corporal William Graham, what exceptional reasons were laid before the Director of Manning to make desirable the retention of Lance Corporal William Graham in the Army. [182733]
Mr. Ingram: I am withholding the details in accordance with Exemption 12 (Privacy of an individual) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Management Groups
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the responsibilities of the (a) Command Field Army, (b) Command Regional Forces, (c) Defence Supply Chain HQ, (d) Primary Health Care, (e) QVS, (f) DYRMS, (g) Defence Academy, (h) Defence Medical Services Department and (i) Defence Medical Education and Training Agency management groups. [181748]
Mr. Caplin: The responsibilities of the management groupings requested are listed as follows:
(a) Exercising operational command of the field Army and training designated forces for war and other operations in order to provide military capability in the right place, at the right time in the most cost effective manner.
(b) The Commander Regional Forces maintains, and where possible, enhances the provision of the military capability and infrastructure support required to meet CinC Land's operational requirements.
(c) The Defence Supply Chain provides a range of support functions to enable the British armed forces to carry out operations. These include storing and distributing all the supplies needed by the forces, such as equipment, mail, medical supplies, fuel, clothing, food and ammunition, as well as transporting personnel and freight anywhere in the world.
(d) Primary health care comes under the responsibility of the single services except in Germany (responsibility lies with British Forces Germany Health Care) and on operations (responsibility lies with PJHQ). It covers, general practice, occupational health, public health and environmental medicine as well as rehabilitation services and, to a degree, mental health care. These services are available to all armed forces personnel, and entitled civilians ie dependants of service personnel on overseas postings and UK civilians overseas. The standard of healthcare is at least equal to primary health care available on the NHS.
(e) The role of the Queen Victoria School is to provide, in accordance with the provision of the Royal Warrant and within a stable boarding environment, education in keeping with the curriculum and standards of the Scottish education system so as to enable pupils admitted to the school to proceed to university or other higher or further education institutions, or to enter directly into the armed services, professions, commerce or industry.
(f) The Duke of York's Royal Military School's role is to provide, in accordance with the provisions of the Royal Warrant, secondary education within a stable environment for those admitted to the school so as to enable them to proceed to university or other higher education institutions, or to enter directly into the armed services, professions, commerce or industry.
(g) The Defence Academy is a national and international centre of excellence, providing military and civilian personnel with high quality training and education, primarily at the postgraduate level, and conducts research in fields related to defence. The teaching and research it provides are at all times coherent and responsive both to Defence customer needs and to developing national and international circumstances.
(h) DMSD is responsible for the delivering the required Deployable Medical Operational Capability and a health and healthcare system that maximises the number of service personnel 'fit for task'. The Defence Medical Services provide the armed forces with a comprehensive medical service in peace, war and operations other than war to standards at least equal to the national health service (NHS).
(i) DMETA delivers medical training to specified standards for personnel of the Defence Medical Services to meet the operational requirement. The agency also makes trained personnel available to front line commanders for training, operations and deployment.
Further information on individual defence agencies is available in the Library of the House.
Means-tested Benefits
Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the means-tested benefits available through his Department and the agencies for which it is responsible (a) in May 1997 and (b) now. [182568]
Mr. Caplin: Under the rules of the War Pension Scheme, the Veterans Agency takes into account claimants' means when assessing the level of certain benefits and allowances paid to those affected by death or injury as a result of service in the armed forces. Specifically:
In 1997, the War Widowers pension was means tested, but this is no longer the case.
In 1997, and now, a claimant's income is one of the factors taken into consideration when determining entitlement to the following additional allowances: additional allowance for unemployability supplement, allowance for lower standard of occupation and rent allowance.
Medical Services
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Department provides a single seamless health service to British servicemen and women and their families serving in Germany; and if he will make a statement. [183258]
Mr. Caplin: The British Forces Germany (BFG) health service is responsible for the provision of health care for the Army, and the few remaining RAF personnel in Germany. It aims to provide a seamless service to its patients, which include civilian staff and families, and standards of service at least comparable to those of the national health service.
The BFG health service brings together military personnel, Guy's and St. Thomas' National Health Trust and the Soldiers', Sailors' and Airmen's Families Association (SSAFA) into a co-operative military/civilian and public/private working partnership backed by open-book financial arrangements and close collaboration at every management level.
Primary care is provided by medical centres located in each of the Garrisons and run by military and civilian medical staff employed by the Defence Medical Service supported by SSAFA.
Hospital-based care is provided, through Guy's and St. Thomas' as prime contractor, at five German hospitals selected to serve the areas where British forces are based in Germany.
In the German hospitals, Guy's and St. Thomas' liaison staff provide on-site support to patients. British style menus are available as well as English language television and newspapers.
Services are continually monitored to ensure that standards are maintained and as part of this process regular patient satisfaction surveys are conducted.
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what duty he has to provide medical services to Service personnel; and if he will make a statement; [183259]
(2) whether he has a duty to provide medical services for Servicemen and women and their families equivalent to the duty of the Secretary of State under the Health Act 1977; and if he will make a statement. [183257]
Mr. Caplin:
The main activity of the Ministry of Defence is to deliver security for the people of the United Kingdom and the Overseas Territories by defending their security, including against terrorism, and so to act as a force for good by strengthening international peace and stability. In doing so, it has a responsibility as an employer, to take care of all its
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personnel. However, this responsibility is not equivalent to that of the Secretary of State for Health who, under the Health Act 1977 has a duty to:
"continue the promotion in England and Wales of a comprehensive health service."
As part of its responsibility to take care of all its personnel the Ministry of Defence, through the Defence Medical Services, provides comprehensive medical services, to standards at least equal to the NHS, to Servicemen and women in peace, war and operations other than war in order to maintain military capability. In the main, primary care is delivered by the single Services. Secondary care for Service personnel is usually provided through routine treatment within the NHS unless there are operational reasons to do otherwise. In the UK, medical services for families of Servicemen and women are usually provided within the NHS. Overseas, the Ministry of Defence is committed to providing medical services for families accompanying Service personnel which are comparable to those provided by the NHS.
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