The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
life again.
Some families, of course, needed their VOs only briefly; others
needed
them ...
for really quite a long time.”28
38.
VOs were not
generally specialists, but Service Personnel who were asked
to
take on
the role in addition to their regular duties because they were
thought to be
39.
In December
2002, following a number of high‑profile cases, the
Army
acknowledged
that its procedures for supporting bereaved families “fell short of
modern
expectations”
and introduced a number of changes, including:
•
CNOs and
VOs were briefed to try to identify any issues that might
affect
communications
with the immediate and wider family (such as divorced
or
separated
parents). If necessary, a second or third CNO could be
appointed.
•
All
Notifying Authorities were instructed to maintain a pool of CNOs
and VOs
“who must
have attended a seminar at Brigade or Divisional
level”.
•
Notification
was to take place at any time of day or night, to avoid
families
hearing the
news from elsewhere.
•
The VO
would remain in contact with the family as the focus for
all
communication,
as long as the family wished.30
40.
The Army
refined that approach through 2003 and 2004, in the light of
their
experience
of supporting the families of Service Personnel killed in
Iraq.
41.
The prospect
of military operations against Iraq prompted the MOD to bring
forward
plans to
extend some benefits to unmarried partners.
42.
Mr Hoon
was advised on 26 February 2003 that, with conflict in Iraq
looming, the
Government
should end the uncertainty on whether unmarried partners of
Service
Personnel
were eligible for benefits in the event of their
death.31
43.
Unmarried
partners were not entitled to benefits under the Armed Forces
Pension
Scheme
(AFPS) and only certain unmarried partners were entitled to
benefits for death
attributable
to service under the War Pension Scheme (WPS). The MOD advised
that
the new
Armed Forces compensation and pension schemes would extend
benefits
to
unmarried partners (both heterosexual and homosexual) for
attributable and
non‑attributable
injury and death, but the new schemes would not be
implemented
before
2005/06.
28
Public
hearing, 21 July 2010, pages 48-49.
29
Public
hearing, 21 July 2010, page 50.
30
Paper MOD,
[undated], ‘The Army Investigations and Aftercare Support Cell
(AIASC)’.
31
Iremonger
to PS/Secretary of State [MOD], 26 February 2003, ‘Unmarried
Partners – Implications
for the
Gulf’.
84