On Thursday 6 December, Kevan, who is the Shadow Minister for the Armed Forces, spoke in the Backbench Business Debate on Defence Personnel.
During a wide-ranging debate, Kevan joined colleagues in paying tribute to those who serve in the Armed Forces, and also spoke of the need to ensure high levels of support are available to injured service personnel in the long term.
Kevan said, “My concern… is what happens to these people in 20, 30 or 40 years’ time. We, as a society and a nation, owe a great debt of gratitude to those individuals. Irrespective of our political parties, we need to ensure that that remains the case. I hope that the work with service charities in relation to the Army recovery capability scheme, which is in the pipeline, involves something of that joined-up approach, but we shall have to monitor this on a yearly basis.
“We shall need to look after the people… who are already injured as a result of service in Afghanistan and Iraq—when they are older. There can be no “if” or “but”; we must do that.”
You can read Kevan’s full speech, and the rest of the debate here: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2012-12-06a.1065.0&s=speaker%3A11003#g1098.2