§ Mr. ViggersTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements are being made to ensure that service personnel are given an appropriate measure of priority for medical treatment; and at what expense. [144511]
§ Dr. MoonieExisting arrangements for the treatment of Service personnel, which include provision for rapid access to hospital out-patient appointments in high priority cases, have recently been supplemented by contracts with private sector providers in order to help return personnel quickly to fully deployable status and so relieve overstretch. I am withholding details of the costs of these various contractual arrangements in accordance with Section 7 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.