Doug Beattie MC MLA has expressed his exasperation and anger at how elected representatives in Northern Ireland are being treated by Westminster Ministers in respect to queries about armed forces issues on behalf of the local Veterans community.
Doug Beattie said:
“I have spent thirty-four years in Her Majesty’s Armed Forces and served my country throughout the world. It is therefore only natural that many veterans will come to me, as an elected representative, with issues in respect to their service. They know they can trust me with the information they provide and they also know I understand many of the problems they face as I have faced them myself.
“However, recently I wrote to Veterans UK – part of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) - to ask about a widowed individual who had lost their partner’s service pension upon their death. It was a fair query made to Veterans UK which was subsequently passed to Mark Lancaster TD VR MP, the Minister for Defence Veterans, Reserves and Personnel, and I received a fair answer from his office in the form of a letter signed by the Minister. However, at the end of the reply from the Minster, the letter went on to say:
‘Finally, as this issue relates to a matter which remains the responsibility of the Westminster Parliament I should be grateful if you would advise (Name withheld) that any future correspondence on this issue, should be addressed to their Westminster MP.’
“Is the Minster seriously saying that Northern Ireland MLAs should not be engaging with Veterans UK? - should not champion the cause of veterans in Northern Ireland but instead should steer queries to their local MP? Does the Minister not realise that some veterans are represented by Sinn Fein MPs who are both abstentionist and indeed some of them were in the IRA and the IRA Army Council? Does he really believe that these veterans should be expected to pass on their military details to those they don’t trust, whether that be due to a genuine concern or a perceived concern?
“This response from the Minister, although it may have come from his office, clearly shows he is out of touch with what is happening in Northern Ireland, the threats veterans face and the inequality they feel daily. Does his Department apply this same rule to Wales and Scotland or does he reserve this for elected representatives here in Northern Ireland?
“To say I am angry is an understatement. I urge the Minster to review the advice he and his office are providing to elected representatives and I also call on the Northern Ireland Executive to urgently enquire why such advice is being given to members of the Assembly by the Ministry of Defence.”