HL Deb 20 January 1997 vol 577 cc43-4WA
The Countess of Mar

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many war pensions cases pertaining to Gulf War veterans are awaiting assessment, what is the average length of delay and what are the causes of those delays; and

What proportion of war pensions claims from Gulf War veterans are decided within the 30-week target; and

How many doctors are dealing with claims from Gulf War veterans at the War Pensions Agency; and

Whether war pensions are being paid to any of the 20 per cent. of Gulf War veterans for whom no specific diagnosis has been made following examination by Group Captain Coker and his colleagues.

Lord Mackay of Ardbrecknish

These are matters for Mr. Kelvin Caldwell, Chief Executive of the War Pensions Agency. He will write to the noble Countess.

Letter to the Countess of Mar from the Chief Executive of The War Pensions Agency, Mr. K. C. Caldwell, dated 17th January 1997.

Lord Mackay of Ardbrecknish has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about war pension claims from Gulf War veterans.

On 2nd January 1997 we had 434 claims and 23 appeals under consideration, at various stages. The average time involved in processing these cases from date of claim to 2nd January 1997 was eight months. Claims for Gulf War related illnesses can require the War Pensions Agency to investigate a number of medical conditions and it can therefore take longer than usual to assemble all the relevant medical and service evidence. For these reasons, Gulf War claims can take longer to resolve. Decisions are made as soon as all the relevant evidence is obtained.

You ask about the average time taken to clear claims from Gulf veterans. Statistics for claims already decided are not kept and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the Agency's targets are to clear 60 per cent. of all first claims within 145 working days and 95 per cent. of all claims within 310 working days. For the month of December 1996, achievement was 63 per cent. and 90 per cent respectively.

Because of the intricacies of Gulf War cases, claims from Gulf War veterans are dealt with on a specialised section by three full time medical advisors with full administrative support. One further medical advisor working in the agency is also able to process Gulf War claims if the need arises. These doctors are trained in a variety of specialised casework.

You ask about war pensions being paid to Gulf War veterans for whom no specific diagnosis has been made by Group Captain Coker and his colleagues. Medical information from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) Gulf War Medical Assessment Programme is not routinely made available to the War Pensions Agency, and at the date of their claims not all claimants for war pension would have taken part in the programme. In cases where express permission for release of information from the Gulf Assessment Programme has been obtained, this will be used to inform the decision on that individual's claim for a war pension.

A war pension may be awarded for any disablement related causally to service. Additionally, under the very preferential terms of the scheme, where a claim is made within seven years of termination of service (and that, of course, is the case for all Gulf claims made so far) the benefit of any reasonable doubt is always given to the claimant and the onus is on the Secretary of State to show beyond reasonable doubt that service in the armed forces has played no part in the cause or course of the claimed disablement.

At present, no precisely defined Gulf related illness is recognised medically and many claims from Gulf participants are for non-specific symptoms and signs. In most of these claims, it has been possible to identify an underlying condition in which the claimed non-specific symptoms and signs are present.

I hope you find my reply helpful.

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