§ Mr. Ron Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to allow special payments to be made to parents of Service men arriving back after service in the Falkland Islands task force who are in receipt of unemployment or supplementary benefits, to enable them to travel to ports to meet their sons.
§ Mr. RossiI have no plans to do so. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has made arrangements to enable Service men returning from the Falkland Islands to be reunited with their families as soon as practicable. These include special provision to enable next of kin to visit seriously ill or wounded Service men in hospital, and for Service men who wish to do so to transfer up to two of their free travel warrants to enable friends or relatives to meet them or visit them on return to the United Kingdom.