§ Lord Mayhewasked Her Majesty's Government:
What delays there have been in honouring home leave dates for servicemen in the Falklands.
§ The Minister of State for Defence Support (Lord Trefgarne)We recognise the arduous nature of duty in the Falkland Islands and it is our general policy that all personnel should be allowed to take up their full end-of-tour leave entitlements on return, subject to any overriding operational or manning constraints. I am not aware of any particular problems, though leave records are not kept centrally so it is not possible to determine, without disproportionate effort, what delays if any there have actually been in honouring home leave dates. However, if the noble Lord is concerned about any specific cases and will provide me with details, I shall be pleased to investigate.