Legion appointed to compensation review oversight role
23 October 2009
The Royal British Legion will play a leading role in scrutinising the review of the compensation scheme for injured Service personnel.
Secretary of State for Defence Bob Ainsworth has appointed Legion Director General, Chris Simpkins, to the Independent Scrutiny Group of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) Review, in recognition of the Legion's high-profile role in representing compensation cases and its recognised expertise on Service and ex-Service issues.
"I'm very pleased that The Royal British Legion's extensive experience in representing claimants under the AFCS has been recognised by inviting our participation in the heart of this review," said Mr Simpkins. "Our driving principle will be to achieve fair and equitable improvements to the scheme for those members of the British Armed Forces who, unfortunately, find themselves entitled to seek compensation for their injuries."
Secretary of State for Defence Bob Ainsworth announced in July that he was bringing forward a review into the AFCS and former Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral the Lord Boyce was subsequently named as the independent chair of the MoD review in September. Lord Boyce will also chair the independent scrutiny group which will support the review.
Apart from the Legion, the group includes representatives from Service and ex-Service organisations, a Service families' representative, a widows associations' representative, a beneficiary of the AFCS and medical and legal experts.
More details on the group and the review, including its terms of reference, is available at www.mod.uk.
