Mark backs Royal British Legion's Honour the Covenant campaign

1.06.50pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 13th Sep 2007

Mark is supporting the Royal British Legion's "Honour the Covenant campaign"

Cheadle MP Mark Hunter today backed the Royal British Legion's campaign to 'Honour the Covenant'. The Military Covenant is a mutual promise acknowledged by all services, that in return for service personnel agreeing to place themselves in harm's way for their country the Government promises to help and support people in the Armed Forces and their families when this support is needed. This campaign has also been taken up by the Independent on Sunday newspaper.

Campaigner are calling for a just and more generous compensation scheme for those who have been injured or have an illness caused by their service, and one that compensates appropriately the families of those who have been killed in the line of duty.

The campaign also calls for a greater commitment to supporting the physical and mental health of Service people and their families. The Legion is concerned that Service personnel and ex-Service personnel and their dependents do not always get the standard of health care they are entitled to, and is calling on the Government to improve the level of health-care available.

Finally the Legion is asking for more support for bereaved Service families, and is concerned in particular by the distress caused by delays and lack of legal representation during coroners' inquests.

In support of both campaigns Mark Hunter the MP for the Cheadle constituency and Deputy Foreign Spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats said, "We ask our armed forces to put their lives at risk, that we cannot guarantee that these brave service personnel get the equipment, medical care and support for them and their families that they deserve is quite frankly appalling.

"The service personnel are not asking for anything that they are not entitled to, they are fighting for the security of our country, the least we can do is ensure that the support they receive is satisfactory, if not exceptional. The Government should be ashamed that with all they ask of their forces they have fallen short of what their armed forces expect of them."