British Prisoners Of War (Salary Payments)

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To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's policy in respect of the payment of salaries to British officers held as prisoners of war in future conflicts. [11723]

British officers who are taken prisoner of war in any future conflict will continue to receive their pay unless the Defence Council or an officer authorised by them is satisfied:

(a) that they were made prisoners through their own disobedience to orders or wilful neglect of duty;

(b) that having been made prisoners they failed to take any reasonable steps available to them to rejoin Her Majesty's service;

(c) that having been made prisoners they served with, or aided, the enemy in the prosecution of hostilities or measures calculated to influence morale or in any other manner whatsoever not authorised by international usage.

(d) That they were in receipt of pay advanced by the detaining power.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's policy towards the payment of salary to officers from the armed forces who were held as prisoners of war during the Gulf conflict. [11722]

British officers who were taken prisoner during the Gulf conflict continued to receive their pay for the few weeks they were held captive.

Volume 299: debated on Thursday 31 July 1997