Oral Answers to Questions

Tom Randall Excerpts

Monday 6th July 2020 Commons Chamber

[Mark Jenkinson (Workington) (Con)]

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that veterans are protected from vexatious claims.

[Tom Randall (Gedling) (Con)]

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that veterans are protected from vexatious claims.

[John Howell (Henley) (Con)]

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that veterans are protected from vexatious claims.

--- Later in debate ---

[Johnny Mercer]

I would be delighted to meet my hon. Friend to talk about the options available in his area. More money and more opportunities than ever before are going into veterans employment. As I said earlier, it is the single biggest factor that improves the life chances of any veteran and their family. I am always looking to do more, and I am happy to meet my hon. Friend to go through what is available in his area.

[Tom Randall]

A veteran with an exemplary record from his two tours in Afghanistan recently confided in me his concerns—and, more worryingly, those of soldiers he served with who come from towns in my constituency such as Arnold and Carlton—about being prosecuted as a result of vexatious claims in the future. Does my hon. Friend agree that it is our duty to ensure that we end the unfair trials of people who have served their country?

[Johnny Mercer]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. This has been one of my driving missions since I entered Parliament. I am delighted to be part of the first Government to have really taken on a very difficult issue, carefully walking down the path of making sure that we can always prosecute those who break the law—uniform is no hiding place for those who do—but that the days of lawyers rewriting history in order to line their own pockets and run amok in lawfare come to an end.