§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of(a) ex-service men and (b) ex-service women suffering from combat-induced post-traumatic stress disorder. [12904]
§ Mr. SoamesRecords are not held by my Department for ex-service men and women suffering from combat-induced post-traumatic stress disorder—PTSD—as the responsibility for their care lies with the national health service. Veterans from conflicts dating as far back as world war one may be suffering from PTSD, formerly known as battle shock. It is therefore not possible to give a meaningful estimate.