Oral Answers to Questions

Alicia Kearns Excerpts

Wednesday 16th October 2024 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising this vital issue. The statistics on male suicide are truly shocking. I went to an event a few years ago here in this place, where everyone in attendance was asked if they had lost someone to suicide, and I then reflected on my own experience, which was profound—as it was, I could see, for everybody across the room, and will be across this House—so reducing deaths from suicide is a vital part of our health mission. We are recruiting an additional 8,500 mental health workers specially trained to support people at risk of suicide to provide faster treatment and ease pressure on our services.

[Alicia Kearns (Rutland and Stamford) (Con)]

Q6.   Group Captain Lizzy Nicholl had an exemplary career with the RAF until she was forced to resign for refusing to implement illegal recruitment orders. Despite inquiry after inquiry vindicating Lizzy on every count, the RAF and MOD have failed to offer her fair compensation, and those responsible have walked away. Shamefully, during the election purdah period, in what I believe was an attempt to subvert ministerial oversight, she was offered a derisory £2,000 by officials. I have documents proving beyond doubt that the former Chief of the Air Staff lied to the then Defence Secretary about her case. The Prime Minister says he believes in righting wrongs, so will he meet Lizzy, and help ensure that those responsible do not just walk away and that Lizzy gets the justice she so very much deserves?

[The Prime Minister]

I thank the hon. Member for raising what is obviously a very important case, and she is right to do so. I am not across the individual details of it, but it obviously does need to be looked into. So we will commit to look into it, and I will make sure that she gets a meeting with the relevant Minister to lay out such details as she has and to get some answers as to our inquiries.