Army Head Welcomes New MoD Compensation Measures

Des Browne announced new measures for the British armed forces The head of the British Army, General Sir Richard Dannatt, has welcomed the MoD's announcement of new measures for the armed forces, describing them as a "very good start" towards providing serving military personnel with the treatment they are owed.

However, said Dannatt, the balance between risks taken and rewards given was still not level, and he called on ministers to put every facet of the Service Personnel Command Paper into action.

Injured Troops Compensation

As previewed by Armed Forces International, Defence Secretary Des Browne yesterday detailed a raft of new measures for serving British military personnel. Among them were revised compensation payments for troops injured in battle; those with the most serious injuries now to get a ceiling figure of 570,000 pounds - double the previous amount.

Other areas covered by the Service Personnel Command Paper - the result of a review lasting eight months - included accommodation and education.

Risk, Reward

Referring to the risk/reward balance, Sir Richard commented: "It was out of kilter, it's coming back into kilter, and I would like to see it brought further back into kilter."

He continued: "The demands - legitimate demands - placed on the military to conduct operations in Iraq and elsewhere [i.e Afghanistan] has placed quite a burden on us.

"That is fine provided there is a balance in our ability to look after the legitimate needs of individuals.

"So I welcome the service command paper, as I have welcomed quite a number of other things that have happened in the last 18 to 24 months, as significant steps towards rebalancing our covenant.

"There are certain clear, concrete, progressive things in the paper and the prospect of a lot more."

According to Gordon Brown, Prime Minister, the report was ordered as a means of making sure the "unusual demands" placed on the military "did not result in unfairness."

Announcing the new strategy on July 17^th, Des Browne described the armed forces as "truly inspiring."

Each day, he said, "...they risk their lives to keep us safe, and it is a fundamental duty of government to support them and their families."

Commenting prior to Mr Browne's speech, Help for Heroes chairman/ co-founder Bryn Parry stated: "Any increase in the compensation package is wonderful", adding: "As far as we are concerned, these young men and women are heroes for serving their country.

"We believe that if they are injured, they deserve the very best."

Source - Armed Forces International's Political Correspondent

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