The stooshie (meaning fight or trouble in English) caused this week by the MoD Appeal Court case seems to have hit a nerve or two within London's corridors of power.
Bob Ainsworth has returned prematurely from holiday to order an immediate review of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme for wounded soldiers. A review of the army compensation scheme was planned for next year but Mr Ainsworth announced it was to be brought forward and would begin immediately.
“The debate in recent weeks has demonstrated that the current scheme is not fully equipped to deal with anomalies, legal complexities and wider issues relating to how we compensate our servicemen and women,” he said.
Although the MoD's legal challenge was poorly timed and started on the same day as the bodies of four of our fallen returned home, the inappropriate timing was the main cause of the poorly designed legislation being brought to the public's attention. If this had not been the case the present legislation may well have languished, unquestioned, on the statute books for some time to come. Now a review is beginning, it is to be hoped the result will be a scheme fit for today's army and completely free of legal complexities. Then there would be no need for the government ministry to require the expensive process of litigation.
Source: the Times
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The compensation scheme ought to be designed by MPs as if it applied to them. Perhaps then we would see justice done. The Veterans http://www.veterans-uk.info/ should recruit Joahnna Lumley that would have them tripping over their feet to compensate properly.
The fact that an RAF typist gets £484,000 in compensation and associated legal costs after developing a Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI).
Yet Ben Parkinson the Paratrooper who lost both his legs and sustained grievous damage to his spine, skull, pelvis, hands, spleen and ribcage, leaving him in a coma for months, was awarded £152,150. He has the dubious record of the worst injuries we have yet seen in the conflict.
That in my humble opinion is just a national disgrace and proof if we needed it of the contempt that these bloody civil servants have for our warriors.
The fact is that many more warriors are now surviving battlefield injuries because of the tremendous care the field medics, MOs, nurses, and ordinary soldiers can now deploy, under fire. But then the fact they survive... leaves them facing a battle they should not have to face, against callous indifference and bloody minded discrimination, which if they were political refugees would see them getting the best of treatment.
I have written on many occassions to various ministers on this subject and just get bland teflonese replies. The arrogant Orange Bigot, Adam Ingram never even had the curtesy to reply. To busy feathering his own nest.
Morning KBW. This deserves a post of its own. Would you mind if I did that?
No problem Rosie. I forgot to leave a link to Bens story here it is:
http://tinyurl.com/lsztps
Grand KBW. Thanks.
Pop along and listen to "Busta Guts" interview on Radio 4 this morning.
He is at his worst.
I have just blogged on it an the interview is here
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