§ Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the number of claims so far made for pensions or other payments by those 157W injured or the relatives of those killed in the Falklands Islands; and whether any estimate has yet been made of the total annual cost of such payments.
§ Mr. Wiggin236 Service men were killed and 755 injured in the Falkland Islands operation. The cost to my Department of death gratuities and lump sums paid to the dependants and the estates of those who died is estimated at £1.9 million; and the annual cost of dependants' pensions is estimated at current values at £0.5 million. Of those injured, 708 have returned to duty. 47 continue to receive medical attention; and no decision has yet been taken on their invaliding. Until decisions are taken no estimate of the cost of invaliding benefits can be provided.