§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's policy in respect of debriefing service personnel formerly involved in active combat before their discharge back into the community. [15765]
§ Mr. SoamesEach of the services provides education, counselling and treatment programmes before and after active operations. These ensure that members of the armed forces are aware of the possibility of stress reaction, and that it can be identified and treated when it occurs. While the care of those who have left the armed forces is properly the responsibility of the national health service, medical summaries will in future indicate whether an individual has been treated for stress disorder while he or she was in the services.