Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Ministry of Defence

Oral Answers to Questions

Jason McCartney Excerpts
Monday 4th July 2011

(13 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Robathan Portrait The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Andrew Robathan)
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As you will understand, Mr Speaker, this is not a question of passing the buck: the Ministry of Justice is responsible for the coroners department. This has been the subject of much consultation, and the MOJ must answer on it. [Interruption.] The right hon. Member for East Renfrewshire (Mr Murphy) asks what it is doing: it is ensuring that coroners are better trained, as training was the problem beforehand.

Jason McCartney Portrait Jason McCartney (Colne Valley) (Con)
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T2. Does my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State agree with me and the British Veterans National Defence Medal Campaign that the recent MOD medal review was wrong to suggest that there is little appetite or desire in this country to recognise our brave service veterans with a UK national defence medal?

Lord Robathan Portrait Mr Robathan
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I would not agree with my hon. Friend on that. What I would say is that groups such as the British Veterans National Defence Medal Campaign are being consulted on the medal review. What that campaign proposes would mean that some 4.5 million to 5 million people would qualify for a national defence medal, and we have to take into account all representations before determining whether that is the right thing to do.