§ Mr. Geoffrey Finsbergasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the mileage rate paid to civil servants in his Department; what are the comparable rates paid to Service men; and when these rates were last determined.
§ Dr. GilbertThe motor mileage rates paid to staff using their private cars—of over 500 cc capacity—on authorised public business are:
(2) if he will set out in the Official Report a table showing the instances of disabling injury sustained by serving members of Her Majesty's Forces whilst deployed in support of a civil authority elsewhere than Northern Ireland, the degree of disability sustained, the amount of compensation received and the source of that compensation for each year since and including 1969.
§ Mr. Robert C. Brown, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 28th February 1977; Vol. 927, c. 36], gave the following information:
156 Service personnel have been discharged for medical reasons following injury sustained in Northern Ireland while on operations in support of the civil power. In some cases the service man has not yet had his degree of disability assessed by the Department of Health and Social Security, or his claim for criminal injury compensation finalised. The following table, compiled from information held by the Ministry of Defence, summarises cases in which disability has been assessed and compensation paid:
587W
CRIMINAL INJURY COMPENSATION PAID TO SERVICE PERSONNEL MEDICALLY DISCHARGED FOLLOWING INJURY SUSTAINED WHILE ON OPERATIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE CIVIL POWER IN NORTHERN IRELAND Percentage Disability Year of Medical Discharge Number of Cases Below 20% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% (£) (£) (£) (£) (£) (£) (£) (£) (£) (£) 1972 … 15 … … — — 4,500 5,000 2,000 7,568 20,000 — — 32,500 — — 5,520 5,500 — — — — — 53,000 — — 15,000 7,850 — — — — — 54,000 — — — 8,368 — — — — — 57,000 — — — 9,000 — — — — — — 1973 … 31 … … 1,500 500 2,250 5,000 6,000 24,000 9,500 10,000 — 20,000 4,000 12,500 3,000 8,000 — — 15,000 25,000 — 31,000 10,000 12,800 8,000 — — — — — — 35,000 14,000 15,000 14,000 — — — — — — 52,000 — — 15,000 — — — — — — 56,000 — — 15,000 — — — — — — 60,000 — — 20,000 — — — — — — 74,000 — — 25,000 — — — — — — — 1974 … 41 … … 450 600 1,250 18,125 7,000 10,000 19,000 6,500 — 14,500 500 8,500 3,000 — 9,500 11,000 22,000 23,500 — 15,000 2,000 18,000 6,000 — 14,250 20,000 — 28,000 — 45,000 4,250 18,000 8,500 — — — — — — 55,000 5,500 — 9,000 — — — — — — 55,000 11,000 — 9,500 — — — — — — 57,000 — — 13,500 — — — — — — 60,000 — — 21,000 — — — — — — 65,000 — — 21,500 — — — — — — 65,000 — — — — — — — — — 88,300 1975 … 13 … … 7,000 — 10,000 12,000 15,000 — 67,500 — 25,000 25,000 7,500 — — 12,500 60,000 — — — — — 10,000 — — 15,000 — — — — — — 15,000 — — — — — — — — — 1976 … 3 … … — 10,000 — — — — 25,000 — — 50,150 (103) Note: As far as is known, there were no such discharges between 1969 and 1971.
588W589WIn every case compensation was that awarded under the provisions of the Criminal Injuries to Persons (Compensation) Act (Northern Ireland) 1968. All service men invalided from the forces as a result of a disability caused or aggravated by service are eligible for consideration for benefits under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme and under the War Pensions Scheme operated by DHSS. The level of benefits awarded takes into account rank, length of service and degree of disability. I understand that the value of these benefits may be taken into account by the Northern Ireland courts when awarding compensation under the Act.
Since 1969 no service man has been medically discharged following injury sustained during deployment in support of a civil authority elsewhere than Northern Ireland. However, two service men have been medically discharged following injury in Oman—one in 1975 and one in 1977. They have both been assessed as 100 per cent. disabled by the Department of Health and Social Security. They are eligible to be considered for benefit under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme and under the DHSS War Pensions Scheme, but are not eligible to claim compensation under the Criminal Injuries to Persons (Compensation) Act (Northern Ireland) 1968 or any similar scheme.
Some Service personnel, although disabled, have been able to continue to serve; no assessment of disability has been made in such cases since the Department of Health and Social Security assesses the degree of disability only after discharge.