The Government does care about military personnel, really

The decision by the MoD to appeal against payments received by service personnel, is being excused by the MoD as a necessary process to validate legislation.

While the Government continue to protest that they support service personnel, their comments and actions hold little confidence in wider circles. While politicians and Senior Military personnel wander around attempting to out shout each other, the reality of death and injury on the battlefields continue.

The MoD is taking to the Court of Appeal cases against two servicemen:

Light Dragoon Anthony Duncan, was originally awarded £9,250 which was increased to £46,000 by an appeal tribunal, for injuries received in Iraq.

Royal Marine Matthew McWilliams was awarded £8,250, increased to £28,750 on appeal.

The deaths of two more British soldiers in Afghanistan were announced yesterday, bringing the number killed in July to 22.

Increasing number of service personnel are dying and being injured, yet the platitudes offered by politicians do nothing to appease the concerns being expressed by the General Public. This own goal by the MoD will do nothing to restore any confidence.

Of ongoing concern will be the fate of soldiers who develop mental health problems on returning home.

The closure of the Henderson Hospital last year, which was a world renowned therapeutic community for people with disorders including post traumatic stress, which was opened in 1947 to help soldiers returned from the Second World War, with the ramification of curtailing expenditure on service provision and research, is a clear demonstration that the Government is more interested in saving money than ensuring the infrastructure is in place to assist wounded and mentally scarred service personnel on their return from active service.