Chorley MP calls for armed forces improvements

10:57am Thursday 15th May 2008

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Member of Parliament for Chorley, Lindsay Hoyle, has called on defence ministers to do more to improve the quality of life for armed forces personnel.

Speaking in a defence debate in Parliament Mr Hoyle said: "When troops come back, they deserve the best, and that is the only thing that is good enough for them.

"We should seek nothing less. I know that Ministers have said they are not satisfied with their accommodation and that they are committed to changing that.

"However, action is needed now rather than just words if we are to treat our troops with the respect they deserve and retain members of our armed forces in their current positions."

Moving onto troops who return home wounded he added: "It was this Government which introduced the compensation scheme for armed forces personnel.

"I am saying that now is the time to go even further and lift the bar.

"More money should be available to those who return wounded and are forced to retire.

"Members of the TA unit in Chorley have recently returned from Afghanistan and fortunately they are all fit and well.

"I would like to pay tribute to them for their period of service and I am sure that they would agree that our armed forces deserve all the support they can get after serving in difficult and dangerous combat conditions."