asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many military personnel were treated for post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from participation in engagements in (a) Bosnia; (b) the first Gulf War; and (c) the Falklands conflict, expressed as a proportion of the total number of military personnel taking part in each engagement.[HL7577]

Information on mental health conditions suffered by personnelwho served in Bosnia, the 1990-91 Gulf conflictand the Falklands conflict is not held centrally. Comprehensive figures on the number of personnel who served in the conflicts in question and who have suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) could be compiled only by examining their individual medical records. For those who have left the Armed Forces, this would also need to include their NHS records because upon leaving the Armed Forces, or on demobilisation for reservists, it is the long-established practice that responsibility for medical care passes to the NHS. This has been the case since 1948 under successive Governments. A patient's medical records can only be viewed for non-clinical reasons with the express consent of the individual concerned, to protect patient confidentiality. Therefore, the information exists but is not held centrally.