Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Johnny Mercer and David Linden

Monday 21st September 2020 Commons Chamber

[Johnny Mercer]

I thank the hon. Lady for her question and let me be absolutely clear on veteran suicide: any veteran suicide is a tragedy for the individual and for their family, but also for us as an institution. We want people to go away from their time in service enhanced, not damaged, by it. We have got a job of work to do, and we have made significant progress over the past few years; by January, for example, mandatory mental health training will be delivered in every unit on an annual basis—that has never happened before. Through that, alongside a lot of our work with the Royal Foundation, we are changing the environment in which we find ourselves in delivering mental healthcare, resilience and fitness for our people. There is always more to do, but, working with partners, I am determined we will get there.

[David Linden (Glasgow East) (SNP)]

What recent assessment he has made of the UK’s ability to tackle (a) hybrid and (b) cyber-enabled threats in the context of the covid-19 outbreak.