23 Jul 18. New Inquiry: Mental Health And The Armed Forces, Part Two: The Provision Of Care. Following its report on part one of its inquiry into Mental Health and the Armed Forces into the scale of mental health issues, the Defence Committee has today launched part two of the inquiry, which will be examining the provision of care.
The Committee will address the following questions:
- To what extent do serving and former armed forces personnel require specific mental health care for treatment to be most effective, either as a whole or for specific groups?
- How far does Government provision for mental health services to serving and former armed forces personnel in the UK meet both these specific care requirements and the Armed Forces Covenant’s principle of priority care, including during transition?
- To what extent are Armed Forces charities covering any gaps in Government mental health care provision?
- Are veterans and their families aware of the mental health services available and how effective has initiatives such as the Veterans Gateway and 24hr helplines been in helping awareness and access?
- Are GPs and other NHS medical practitioners sufficiently aware of the needs and entitlements of veterans and their families to provide appropriate advice and referrals?
- Do veterans receive the mental health care and support they need quickly once they seek help?
- How does the provision of care and the outcomes achieved for veterans differ across the UK?
- How are the families of serving personnel and veterans with mental health issues supported?
- To what extent are government departments, local authorities and charities across the UK aligned and working together effectively to provide mental health services to veterans?
Written submissions for this inquiry should be submitted via the inquiry page on the Defence Committee website. Those making submissions to the Committee are welcome to address any or all of the above points. The deadline for written submissions is Friday 31 August 2018.
Submissions by individual Armed Forces members and their families.
The Committee is particularly keen to hear from both current and former servicemen and women and their families on their experiences, both good and bad, of seeking and receiving mental health care. However, please bear in mind that the Committee will not consider individual cases or matters currently before a court of law. The Committee recognises that such submissions are likely to contain sensitive personal information and in order to ensure anonymity, the Committee will not publish submissions relating to individual experiences. Instead, the Committee will publish with the main report a detailed review of all such submissions received, which will draw out the key themes and present anonymised quotes as examples of what the Committee has seen. The Committee may also select anonymised examples to use in the report.
For all submissions
Submissions should state clearly who the submission is from e.g. ‘Written evidence submitted by <Name>’ and be no longer than 3,000 words. Introductory material on your background or that of your organisation should also be no longer than 200 words. Please contact the Committee staff if you wish to discuss this. Submissions must be a self-contained memorandum in Word or Rich Text Format (not PDFs). Paragraphs should be numbered for ease of reference and the document should, if possible, include an executive summary. Submissions should be original work, not previously published or circulated elsewhere. Once submitted, your submission becomes the property of the Committee and no public use should be made of it unless you have first obtained permission from the Clerk of the Committee. Please also bear in mind that the Committee will not consider individual cases or matters currently before a court of law, or matters in respect of which court proceedings are imminent. If you anticipate such issues arising, you should discuss with the Clerk of the Committee how this might affect your submission. The Committee normally, though not always, chooses to publish the written evidence it receives. If there is any information you believe to be sensitive you should highlight it and explain what harm you believe would result from its disclosure; the Committee will take this into account in deciding whether to publish or further disclose the evidence. The personal information you supply will be processed in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998 for the purposes of attributing the evidence you submit and contacting you as necessary in connection with its processing. The Clerk of the House of Commons is the data controller for the purposes of the Act.
23 Jul 18. We need to dispel the myth that veterans are all ‘mad, bad or sad’, says Defence Committee. The public perception that most Servicemen and women are damaged by their service is wrong, according to a Report by the House of Commons Defence Committee on the extent of mental illness among Armed Forces personnel. The vast majority of veterans leave with no mental damage, and suggestions to the contrary may actually discourage those who need help from seeking it. The Committee also believes that too much attention may be being placed on PTSD, whereas conditions such as depression are much more common. The MoD has reported that some 3% of serving personnel were diagnosed with mental health problems last year – a significant increase over the previous decade, but still slightly lower than the level found within the general population. However, as the Department can record only those who seek help, its data probably underestimate the true figure. Academic research suggests that about 10% of veterans who served over the past 20 years may eventually develop mental health problems requiring treatment, with some groups – such as soldiers in combat roles, as well as Reservists – being at higher risk following deployment to Afghanistan or Iraq.
Provision of Care
The MPs believe that more must be done to care for the small minority of serving personnel and veterans who do suffer mental health problems. According to the Committee “it is still taking too long for veterans to access treatment when they need it, and levels of care vary across the UK”. Some Service leavers are also “still falling through the gaps”, especially during transition to civilian life. The Committee intends to examine this further and, having completed its examination of the scale of the problem, is today launching its follow-up inquiry into the adequacy of the provision of mental health care to serving personnel and veterans.
Priority treatment
One of the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant is that, when conditions are Service-related, veterans should receive priority treatment subject to clinical need. Yet the Committee found that this principle has been inconsistently applied. There is palpable confusion over how to implement it, and this adds to the perception that the Health Service is failing veterans. The Committee urges the Ministry of Defence to clarify the position as part of its forthcoming Veterans Strategy.
A lack of regional understanding
The Committee also found that the MoD has an inadequate understanding of the extent of veterans’ mental health issues across the UK. The provision of healthcare may be devolved, but the MoD is still accountable for how the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant are implemented. More needs to be done to assess to what extent numbers of veterans with mental health problems might vary across the four nations.
Defence Committee chairman, Dr Julian Lewis MP, says: “Contrary to public perception, most Servicemen and women leave with no mental ill-health and, to help veterans, we need to dispel the myth that many suffer psychological harm. But the MoD must ensure that the few who do develop mental health problems are receiving the level of care promised to them in the Armed Forces Covenant. At the moment they are not, and we shall examine the situation in more detail in our follow-up inquiry, launched today.”
Defence Committee member and Chair of the APPG for the Armed Forces Covenant, Ruth Smeeth MP, says: “Effective support during transition, as you leave the military, is essential to ensure that our service personnel experience a positive move into civilian life without any unnecessary stress. If they are already receiving support for mental health issues while serving, they must receive what they need as they move into NHS care. Yet, clearly, some leavers are falling through the gaps and the MoD needs to do much better in working with health economies across the UK to stop this from happening.”
House of Commons and House of Lords Hansard Written Answers
Q
Asked by Mr Kevan Jones
(North Durham)
Asked on: 18 July 2018
Ministry of Defence
Warships: Radar
165497
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department is assessing the feasibility of fitting the Australian CEAFAR radar on future British warships.
A
Answered by: Stuart Andrew
Answered on: 25 July 2018
The Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy, supported by their respective science and technology organisations (Dstl and Defence Science and Technology Group) completed a collaborative capability study this year into Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar technology (including CEAFAR). The study concluded that both Navies field world class Radar capabilities with exciting opportunities for science and technology collaboration.
Q
Asked by Luke Pollard
(Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Asked on: 19 July 2018
Ministry of Defence
HMS Ocean
166285
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the final agreed price was for the sale of HMS Ocean to the Brazilian Government.
A
Answered by: Stuart Andrew
Answered on: 25 July 2018
HMS Ocean was sold to the Brazilian Government for £84 million.
The Payment Schedule is subject to review, dependent upon any work supporting the sale being carried out as planned and with the final payment to be adjusted to reflect the final docking costs.
Q
Asked by Mr Kevan Jones
(North Durham)
Asked on: 19 July 2018
Ministry of Defence
NATO: Baltic States
166086
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) Estonia, (b) Latvia and (c) Lithuania on re-tasking of the NATO Baltic air-policing mission to an air defenceposture mission.
A
Answered by: Mr Tobias Ellwood
Answered on: 25 July 2018
The UK is committed to the security of the Baltic region, and has a close working relationship with Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
NATO’s deterrence and defence posture are constant themes during discussions between all Allies. Options for effective deployment of NATO forces are subject to review and development in response to the prevailing circumstances.
Q
Asked by Mr Kevan Jones
(North Durham)
Asked on: 19 July 2018
Ministry of Defence
Armed Forces: Deployment
166087
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 79 of the July 2018 White Paper, The future relationship between the UK and the EU, Cm 9593, whether he has estimated the number of UK armed forces personnel that will be required to host an Operational Headquarters.
A
Answered by: Mr Tobias Ellwood
Answered on: 25 July 2018
The White Paper published in July includes a UK offer to host an EU Operational Headquarters (OHQ) after Brexit but the text of the Withdrawal Agreement, agreed at the 2018 March European Council, states that the UK cannot host an EU OHQ during the Implementation Period. Longer term arrangements with the EU are subject to negotiations, and no estimate has been made of any potential UK contribution to an EU OHQ whether in the UK or elsewhere.
Q
Asked by Mr Kevan Jones
(North Durham)
Asked on: 19 July 2018
Ministry of Defence
Defence Equipment
166091
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure the Defence equipment plan is affordable.
A
Answered by: Stuart Andrew
Answered on: 25 July 2018
We are committed to delivering large, complex and technologically challenging defence programmes to give our military the very best equipment. We recognise the financial risks in the equipment plan and are working to incorporate the recommendations of the National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee’s reviews of the Equipment Plan 2017 into our management of the Plan. Going forward, the Modernising Defence Programme aims to deliver better military capability and value for money in a sustainable and affordable way.
Q
Asked by Mr Kevan Jones
(North Durham)
Asked on: 19 July 2018
Ministry of Defence
Defence Equipment
166092
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of his Department’s ability to make the remaining £8.1 billion saving from its equipment plan by 2027.
A
Answered by: Stuart Andrew
Answered on: 25 July 2018
As the National Audit Office reported in January 2018, the Department had achieved £7.9 billion of a £16 billion savings target between 2010 and 2027, and had also identified potential savings to meet all but £0.5 billion of the remaining £8.1 billion over the next nine years. As such, we remain confident and committed to delivering this as agreed, and will report on progress in the Equipment Plan 2018 financial summary due to be published in the autumn.
Q
Asked by Mr Kevan Jones
(North Durham)
Asked on: 19 July 2018
Ministry of Defence
Aircraft Carriers
166094
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the ability of his Department to deliver the re-baselined cost of £6.2 billion for production of the two new aircraft carriers.
A
Answered by: Stuart Andrew
Answered on: 25 July 2018
The Ministry of Defence keeps costs within the Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carrier programme under very close scrutiny. The final cost of the programme will be subject to commercial negotiations with the Aircraft Carrier Alliance. The overall impact will only be clear once we have concluded our talks.
Q
Asked by Mr Kevan Jones
(North Durham)
Asked on: 19 July 2018
Ministry of Defence
Military Bases: Sales
166098
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on realising £1 billion of savings between 2016-17 and 2020-21 as a result of sales of the MoD estate.
A
Answered by: Mr Tobias Ellwood
Answered on: 25 July 2018
To date disposals to the value of £373 million have been achieved, and we are on track to realise £1 billion of receipts from the sales of Ministry of Defence estate.
Q
Asked by The Marquess of Lothian
Asked on: 12 July 2018
Ministry of Defence
Afghanistan: Military Aid
HL9498
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the Prime Minister’s statement on 11 July, how the additional 440 UK military personnel to be deployed to the NATO mission in Afghanistan will “bring the stability and security that the Afghan people deserve”.
A
Answered by: Earl Howe
Answered on: 24 July 2018
The uplift of 440 personnel will join the UK-led Kabul Security Force (KSF), which supports the wider NATO Train Advise Assist mission with non-combat support for the Afghan National Defence and Security Force (ANDSF). This support enables NATO advisors in the city to undertake capacity-building and directly mentors the ANDSF on delivering security for the civilian population, which they been responsible for since 2015. The UK is already playing a critical role, alongside our NATO partners, in training the ANDSF so they have the skills to maintain stability in a challenging environment. The UK uplift will further bolster these efforts where our operational experience and expertise directly benefit the ANDSF.
Q
Asked by Dr Matthew Offord
(Hendon)
Asked on: 16 July 2018
Ministry of Defence
Armed Forces: Recruitment
164397
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress has been made on (a) bringing the defence recruiting system up to full operating capability and (b) meeting recruitment targets.
A
Answered by: Mark Lancaster
Answered on: 24 July 2018
Capita, working closely with all three single Services, has rectified all significant Defence Recruiting System (DRS) defects identified since it went live in November 2017. Some remaining issues relating to DRS interfaces with existing Ministry of Defence IT systems are not impacting on the ability of candidates to apply and join the Armed Forces and will be resolved soon. Application numbers have returned to pre-DRS levels.
The Army recruited over 9,000 people (Regular and Reserves) in 2017-18 and application numbers continue to perform strongly, supported by the ‘Belonging’ marketing campaign. The focus is now on improving the application to enlistment conversion rate. Working with Capita, the Army has implemented a new operating model which is less centralised and provides increased support to candidates. The Army is also taking steps to reduce the time it takes a candidate to move from application to being allocated a training place.
I continue to monitor the situation closely.
Q
Asked by Mr Kevan Jones
(North Durham)
Asked on: 18 July 2018
Ministry of Defence
Air Force
165498
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which elements of RAF squadrons and groups will form the proposed reformation of the Number 11 Group RAF.
A
Answered by: Mark Lancaster
Answered on: 24 July 2018
No. 11 Group of the Royal Air Force will provide command and control of air, space and cyber operations with a specific focus on UK based operations.
The Group will have at its core the National Air and Space Operations Centre based at RAF High Wycombe, and will be able to direct capabilities in support of UK operations. Work is being conducted to finalise the details of other units and organisations in the composition of the Group.
Q
Asked by Chi Onwurah
(Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
[N]
Asked on: 18 July 2018
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Global Navigation Satellite Systems: Finance
165561
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 16 July 2018 to Question 162553, which Department will provide funding for the proposed £3-5 billion domestic satellite navigation system; and whether that funding will be taken from money that has already been allocated in the Budget.
A
Answered by: Mr Sam Gyimah
Answered on: 24 July 2018
Holding answer received on 23 July 2018
The Government has made clear its wish to negotiate a continued deep participation in the Galileo programme. In May, my rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister ordered that a GNSS taskforce deliver a detailed assessment of UK GNSS options in the event that we do not reach a satisfactory agreement on the Galileo programme to provide resilience to UK users as stated in the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015.
No departmental funding has been allocated for the full GNSS capability and the scoping phase of work will need to be completed before any decision can be taken on whether to proceed.
Q
Asked by Mr Kevan Jones
(North Durham)
[N]
Asked on: 19 July 2018
Ministry of Defence
Defence: Modernisation
166090
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Written Statement of 19 July 2018, Modernising Defence Programme – Update, HCWS883, for what reasons only headline conclusions from that programme have been published.
A
Answered by: Gavin Williamson
Answered on: 24 July 2018
The Ministry of Defence has consistently committed to sharing headline conclusions of the Modernising Defence Programme (MDP) before the summer. The Written Ministerial Statement I released on 19 July 2018 sets out those conclusions, and records the good progress that has been made since the launch of the programme in July.
As planned, the MDP will now move into a period of more detailed analysis and cross-Government discussion. During this period, we will consider how and where to adjust our policies and plans in response to our initial findings. We will then share more detailed conclusions.
Q
Asked by Nia Griffith
(Llanelli)
[N]
Asked on: 19 July 2018
Ministry of Defence
Defence: Modernisation
166118
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Written Statement of 19 July 2018, HCWS883 on the Modernising Defence Programme, when his Department plans to publish a defence technology framework.
A
Answered by: Gavin Williamson
Answered on: 24 July 2018
The Defence Technology Framework will be central to the Ministry of Defence’s modernisation effort. It will set out the Department’s key technology priorities and drive a more coherent approach to technology experimentation and exploitation that will inform strategy, investment and planning decisions across Defence.
The Department aims to publish the Framework in 2019 following appropriate consultation with our allies, national security partners across Government, and key suppliers in industry and academia.