Oral Answers to Questions

Richard Ottaway Excerpts

Monday 8th November 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr David Burrowes (Enfield, Southgate) (Con)]

4. What assessment he has made of the effect of the outcomes of the strategic defence and security review on mental health care provision for service personnel.

[Richard Ottaway (Croydon South) (Con)]

5. What assessment he has made of the effect of the outcomes of the strategic defence and security review on mental health care provision for service personnel.

[The Secretary of State for Defence (Dr Liam Fox)]

The strategic defence and security review committed an additional £20 million per year for the provision of health care to service personnel, part of which will be used to deliver further enhanced mental health care services. It is planned that this will include an uplift to the numbers of specialist and supporting mental health personnel.

--- Later in debate ---

[Dr Fox]

Indeed, my hon. Friend makes an important point. A range of different groups suffer from mental health problems, both inside and outside the armed forces. There are those who come into the armed forces with a problem—either a mental health problem or a substance-abuse problem—those who develop one during their time in the armed forces and those who subsequently develop one. In a civilised society, it is very important that we ensure that all three groups are properly looked after. I would go so far as to say that it is the measure of how civilised a society we are that we look after the most vulnerable, and those with mental health problems must be in that group.

[Richard Ottaway]

Will the Secretary of State take this opportunity to pay tribute to service charities such as Combat Stress? It can take quite some time before mental health problems become apparent. It is important to support our veterans in the long term and not just in the short term or in the immediate aftermath of their retirement from the service.

[Dr Fox]

My hon. Friend makes an excellent point. Recent evidence suggests that post-traumatic stress disorder is likely to present at a peak at about three years, but may take as long as 14 years to present. It is therefore important that we recognise and see through our through-life responsibility to our armed forces. It cannot be right that our duty of care ends at the point of discharge from the armed forces themselves.