HC Deb 07 May 1991 vol 190 cc450-1W
Mr. Churchill

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it remains the policy of Her Majesty's Government to ensure that compensation available to service personnel should be in line with awards by the courts to civilians in comparable cases.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

Yes.

Mr. Churchill

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where responsibility for paying compensation will rest in the event of a member of Her Majesty's forces currently being provided to serve under contract to a private company, namely Royal Ordnance, for mine-clearance duties in Kuwait, suffering injury or death in the course of his duties; and whether he will ensure that such compensation will be no less favourable than that payable to a British civilian employed by a British company.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

We are still discussing the details of this deployment with Royal Ordnance, and appropriate compensation arrangements are one of the matters under consideration.