§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps are being taken to settle the applications for pensions for Gulf War Syndrome victims; what time scale was initially set for such applications; what time scale is now in effect for the remaining pension applications from Gulf War veterans; and if he will make a statement. [139000]
§ Mr. SpellarI assume that the hon. Member is referring to the announcement I made on 18 May 2000 regarding an extension to attributable benefits available to members of the reserve forces. We are actively processing claims from known individuals who believe they have an entitlement and are taking measures to identify other individuals who may not be aware of my announcement. To allow the Ministry of Defence to make payments the new regulations must be in place; this has taken longer than anticipated but will be completed early in the new year. Payments will then be made shortly thereafter. In the meantime, the Ministry of Defence will write during the next month to individuals who have already made a claim, and advise them whether they qualify under the new regulations. Once the regulations are in place, new claims will in future be processed in the formal time frame of approximately 8–10 Weeks.