§ Mr AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many section 10 certificates have been issued since 1979 in respect of members of the services, excluding those who were nuclear test veterans.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonMy right hon. Friend's responsibilities are limited to issuing certificates, under section 10(3) of the Crown Proceedings Act 1947, confirming the duty status of a member of the armed forces on any particular occasion. It is not possible to provide full details of all section 10(3) certificates issued since 1979, as these have not been kept. However, our records show that 11 such certificates have been issued in the four years from 1986 to date; of these, one related to a nuclear test veteran.