§ Mr. ViggersTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what support has been given to Mr. Terry Jeans to enable him to attend court in Croatia; and what further support is to be offered to enable him to attend a public hearing on the case on 5 December. [84008]
§ Dr. MoonieBetween September 1998 and July 2000, Mr. Jeans was afforded considerable financial assistance from both public and non-public funds to enable him to attend a number of court hearings in Croatia, in relation to his son, Private Simon Jeans, who died on 17 September 1996 following an assault by a number of Croatian civilians in Split. Administrative support was provided by the British Embassy and Defence Staff in Zagreb.
The Regimental Association of the Royal Logistics Corps, which provided the most significant contribution, is unable to provide any further financial assistance to Mr. Jeans. Mr. Jeans was not the nominated Next of Kin and is therefore not entitled to support from public funds. Exceptional authority was, however, granted by the Secretary of State for the funding from the public purse of Mr. Jeans' last trip to Croatia in July 2000, to enable him to hear the conclusion of the trial of those accused of assaulting his son. This was on the basis that it constituted his final trip to Croatia and that no precedent would be set. The latest hearing concerns an appeal by a Croatian state attorney against the later release of two of those who were accused of assaulting Private Jeans. While the Ministry of Defence recognises Mr. Jeans' desire to attend this latest hearing, I am afraid that no further financial assistance can be provided to him in this case.