§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state(a) the total deaths and (b) the total injuries in the armed services in (i) 1988 and (ii) 1989; how many of the service men or their next of kin will receive no Ministry of Defence compensation; what is the average compensation his Department will pay per person in relation to (1) death and (2) injury; whether he will make it his policy to arrange for a comprehensive personal insurance cover scheme for all service men and women; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe figures for deaths and medical discharge as the result of injury for United Kingdom regular forces in 1988 and 1989 are as follows:
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(a) Deaths Number 1988 316 1989 1336 1 Provisional.
(b) Medical dischargeas the result of injury Number 1988 244 1989 1 1 Not yet available. Financial provision in respect of those who die in service, or who are medically discharged as the result of injury, is made under the terms of the armed forces pension scheme. Benefits payable can comprise pensions and/or lump sums, including those payable to eligible dependants in the event of death. The amounts depend upon the circumstances of each case. Relevant factors can include rank, length of service, whether death or injury is attributable to service and, where appropriate, degree of disability. It is not therefore possible to provide an average figure for the total amount which may be paid per person. A benefit will be payable in all cases except where medical discharge is due to causes that are not attributable to service and less than two years' reckonable service has been given.
Where death or medical discharge is attributable to service provision is also made under the terms of the war pensions scheme administered by the Department of Social Security.
I believe these arrangements to be satisfactory.