PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Armed Forces: Civil Proceedings (4 November 2020)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effect of the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill on service personnel’s ability to make civil claims against his Department.

Asked by:
Sir John Hayes (Conservative)

Service personnel and veterans will continue to be able to bring claims relating to overseas operations against the MOD. While the Bill will introduce a six year longstop for personal injury and death claims, the clock for those claims won't start until the date of knowledge. This means that for conditions like PTSD, that may not be diagnosed until much later, the six years would start from the date of diagnosis not the date of a deployment on an overseas operation.

Service personnel and veterans will also continue to be able to access the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, including for claims relating to overseas operations, which has a seven-year time limit for bringing claims.

Answered by:
Johnny Mercer (Conservative)
9 November 2020