§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the relationship between the benefits paid to those injured in the Falklands campaign and to their families, to those paid to the families of those killed or similarly injured in Northern Ireland; how much would be paid in each case to(a) a man losing a leg and (b) a widow left with two young children; and what are the payments made for a comparable injury or death resulting from military action in any other area of the world.
§ Mr. FreemanThe range of benefits available under the provisions of the armed forces pension scheme in respect of those killed or injured as a result of duty in Northern Ireland, or in any other area of the world, are the same as for those of casualties of the Falklands campaign. Actual amounts payable vary according to the rates of benefit in force at the date of death in service or invaliding from service.
Benefits payable under the scheme in the event of death attributable to service vary according to rank. Those payable in respect of attributable injury which results in invaliding from service vary according to rank and degree of disability and, in certain circumstances, may also be affected by length of service given. Examples of benefits payable in 1982, that is at the time of the Falklands campaign, are as follows:
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a. On attributable invaliding, after four years reckonable service, with total loss of one leg: Private (and equivalent) Captain (and equivalent) £ £ Service Pension 121,447 125,267 Lump Sums 2,974 5,839 1 Index-linked from date of award. 2 Per annum.
b. On attributable death in service, for a widow left with two eligible children in her care: Private (and equivalent) Captain (and equivalent) £ £ Forces Family Pension 123,405 127,130 Lump Sums 7,435 14,598 1 Index-linked from date of award. 2 Per annum. Additional benefits would also be payable under the war pension scheme administered by the Department of Health and Social Security.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much money has been donated to the South Atlantic Fund since its inception; how much has been distributed in each year for(a) the welfare of those who suffered as a result of the Falklands conflict and (b) the welfare of those who continue to work in the arduous conditions of the South Atlantic; and how much money remains in the fund.
§ Mr. FreemanThe most recent report published by the trustees, a copy of which was forwarded to the right hon. Member with my letter of 30 October 1987, states that to 31 October 1986, £15,168,652 in donations had been received. Accounts for the fund's financial year ending 31 October 1987 have not yet been published.
The annual reports show that grants have been made for each of the fund's accounting periods as follows. Within the figure for the period ending 31 October 1983 certain grants were made for the welfare of those continuing to defend the Falkland Islands as stated on page 6 of the trustees' annual report for 1983.
Grants £ 27 May 1982–31 October 1983 12,792,695 1 November 1983–31 October 1984 794,344 1 November 1984–31 October 1985 85,900 1 November 1985–31 October 1986 143,679 As at 31 October 1986 the balance in hand was £3,498,012.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish a table giving for the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the Army, the Royal Air Force, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and RNSTS, and the Merchant Navy., the following information about the Falklands war and South Atlantic Fund: (1) the number who died:(a) with and (b) without dependants, (2) the number who were injured: (a) with and (b) without dependants, (3) the total distributed from the fund to individuals who had been or are members of each service, (4) the total distributed from the fund to families of those who died in each service and (5) the amount given to each of the services for general use and the terms on which this was given.
§ Mr. FreemanThe numbers killed totalled 255 as follows:
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(a) (b) Totals With dependants Royal Navy 86 53 Royal Marines 27 16 Army 123 62
(a) (b) Totals With dependants RAF 1 1 RFA/RNSTS 10 6 Merchant Navy 6 5 Chinese unofficials 2 2 There were 777 service and civilian casualties arising from the conflict. This figure is increasing as further disabilities come to light. It is not possible to say how many of the injured had dependants as this information is not held centrally.
As regards any analysis of grants by service or to families of those who died, the trustees of the South Atlantic fund have not published such data.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if the South Atlantic Fund had sufficient money to help widows so that they would be as well off as they would have been had their husbands not died;
(2) what assumptions were made about the income that would have been earned had the man concerned not died, in calculating the amount paid to widows of those killed in the Falklands conflict; and for how many years it was assumed that this income would have lasted.
§ Mr. FreemanThe aim of the trustees, within the framework of charity law and the assets of the fund, has been to help all those who suffered or were bereaved to live, as far as possible, the kind of life they might have expected had the conflict not taken place. In considering grants to widows the trustees have had to bear in mind both the earnings potential of their deceased husbands and the long-term needs from the fund of those men who suffered injury.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people have been means-tested by the South Atlantic Fund before a grant was made; if this is universal; what income and capital is taken into account; and if there were objections to means testing.
§ Mr. FreemanThis is a matter for the trustees. However, I understand that there has been no general means testing, though the trustees have taken into account state pensions and benefits but not personal assets or personal insurance and other similar personal provision.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if, when the South Atlantic Fund is closed and the residual assets transferred to the service benevolent funds, he will ensure that each service gets money according to the numbers belonging to it that were injured or killed in the Falklands conflict;
(2) if he will request the trustees of the South Atlantic Fund to ensure that, when monies are transferred on the closure of the fund, they will not be greatly in excess of what will be needed to meet all due claims from beneficiaries in perpetuity.
§ Mr. FreemanThese are matters for the trustees who have decided to extend further the life of the fund to not later than July 1989.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what complaints have been received from beneficiaries of the South Atlantic Fund regarding the criteria for grants, the method of assessment and the method and timing of pay; what was their nature; and what response was made.
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§ Mr. FreemanThese are matters for the trustees.