§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many Service men and Merchant Navy personnel have suffered amputations in consequence of the Falklands conflict how many are blinded; how many are hearing impaired; how many are severely burned; and how many have severe head injuries;
(2) if there has been compiled a detailed list of the injuries sustained in the Falklands conflict by Service men and Merchant Navy personnel; and if he will publish the list available in the Official Report;
(3) if he is now able to give the number of Service men who sustained permanently disabling wounds in the Falklands conflict; and if he can provide the same information in respect of the Merchant Navy personnel.
§ Mr. Blaker:The great majority of those injured in the Falkland Islands have now returned to normal duties. Only 38 are still receiving hospital treatment. A further small number are currently on sick leave and most of these will return to their units in due course.
It is too early to say how many people will be permanently disabled. No one has yet been discharged from employment in the Armed Forces or the Merchant Navy as a result of wounds received, and no one has therefore become registered as disabled.
There follows a list of the injuries sustained in the Falklands conflict, compiled from the best available information:
Injury Number Loss of arm 4 Loss of leg 16 Loss of foot 9 Loss of hand 1 Loss of toes 1 Eye injuries 13 Ear injuries 12 Burns 120 Head injuries 59 Fractures 58 Gunshot wounds 72 Other wounds (including shrapnel) 195 Trench Foot and other injuries attributable to cold 109 Shock 17 Smoke inhalation 13 Dislocations and Sprains 39 Minor and unknown 39 777 These figures include both Service men and civilians. They reflect the up-to-date situation but may have to be adjusted in the light of future clinical developments in individual cases. In a very small number of cases the injured person lost: more than one limb.
Of the figures given above:
- (a) two of the 13 with eye injuries have been blinded, one in both eyes and one in one eye only;
- (b) it is not yet possible to say how many of those with ear or head injuries have impaired hearing nor how many of the head injuries will prove to be permanently severe;
- (c) 17 of the 120 with burns have burns of more than 20 per cent.