Oral Answers to Questions

Adam Afriyie Excerpts

Monday 3rd February 2020 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Adam Afriyie (Windsor) (Con)]

1. What steps his Department plans to take to tackle vexatious claims against armed forces personnel.

[Tom Randall (Gedling) (Con)]

5. What steps his Department plans to take to tackle vexatious claims against armed forces personnel.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Ben Wallace)]

My thoughts are with the injured victims of the Streatham attack and their families, and I express my sympathy and support on the Government’s behalf. I also pay tribute to the brave police officers who so speedily confronted and dealt with the attacker and to the other emergency services who assisted the victims and others.

We owe a huge debt of gratitude to our armed forces, who perform exceptional feats to protect this country in incredibly difficult circumstances. While our servicemen and women are rightly held to the highest standards of behaviour, we must ensure that the law is applied consistently, promptly and fairly.

[Adam Afriyie]

With Combermere barracks and Victoria barracks in the Windsor constituency, we are proud to be home to the Irish Guards, the Welsh Guards and the Household Cavalry. Following their many years of service to our nation, I want them to feel safe and secure in the knowledge that they will not be hounded and harassed by vexatious litigation for decades to come. How soon will our veterans be able to stand at ease?

[Mr Wallace]

As Her Majesty said in the Gracious Speech, the Government will shortly introduce a legislative package to ensure that our service personnel and veterans have access to the legal protections they deserve. That will build on the consultation held last summer on proposed legal protections and measures for armed forces personnel and veterans who have served in operations outside the UK. We expect those measures to be brought forward soon.