§ Mr. Altonasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether any member of the Armed Forces has been sent a bill for equipment lost during the Falkland Islands war.
§ Mr. WigginAs far as I know, no member of the Armed Forces has been sent a bill for equipment lost during the Falkland Islands war. It is certainly not the intention that kit lost or damaged during a combat situation should be treated as the personal financial responsibility of the individual Service man to whom it may have been issued. In the light of continuing interest in this matter, however, and notwithstanding the expense involved, I have instructed that inquiries be made of all units with men who served in the Falklands campaign to find out whether any cases are recorded of individuals having been penalised for losses incurred as a consequence of the Falklands conflict. I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as the results of this investigation are available and place a copy of my letter in the Library.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he has accurate and precise information on the locations of British helicopters lost at sea in the South Atlantic conflict.
§ Mr. WigginYes.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 6 December, whether 60W consideration was given to making Gannet aircraft operational with early warning capability for deployment with the task force during the Falklands war.
§ Mr. BlakerYes, very briefly. However, of the Gannet aircraft itemised in my earlier answer of 6 December—[Vol. 33, c. 410]—only two were AEW models. Neither could have been restored to operational service in time or with any guarantee of success, nor was there any suitable platform from which to operate them.