Mr BEVIS (2:52 PM) —My question without notice is to the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Minister representing the Minister for Defence. Is the minister aware that the Air Force’s board of inquiry into illnesses and injuries suffered by ADF personnel involved in the deseal-reseal of the F111 fuel tanks reported in July 2001? Nearly four years later and after the deaths of some of those personnel, why haven’t any of those who have suffered serious, and in some cases life-threatening, illnesses received any compensation? Will the minister guarantee to the parliament today that these victims will be compensated before the fourth anniversary of that report?

Mrs DE-ANNE KELLY (Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) —I thank the honourable member for his question. The study of the health outcomes in aircraft maintenance personnel finally reported, and in December last year the government, as the member would know, made a response to that report. The commitment from that was that there would be a lump sum benefit paid to all those who were exposed. That benefit would not distinguish between military personnel, public servants and civilians. In the interim, I understand that there has been a period of time in which affected personnel could feel frustrated.

Mrs Irwin —Four years!

Mrs DE-ANNE KELLY —I will get to that in a moment. Can I just say, though, that there are complex policy issues in finally determining the nature of the lump sum payment—its interrelationship with existing compensation payments, including WorkCover in Queensland, where the majority of those people are based. But it is not true to say that people have not received compensation in the interim. The reality is that any former or serving member of the Defence Force is entitled to make a claim with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. In fact, the total number of claimants with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act is 439. Under the Veterans’ Entitlements Act it is also 439. Of those, the liability accepted for the total number of claimants is 173. Depending on the severity of the service related illness or injury that people have had a claim accepted for, they can receive substantial lump sums, income support and of course health support. So it is not true—

Mr Bevis —When?

Mrs DE-ANNE KELLY —There are people now whose claims have been accepted and they are receiving compensation, income support and health support. The other point to make in relation to this is that there is an interim health scheme in place. People in group 1—those who were inside the tanks and most severely exposed to the solvents—are already under the health interim scheme, receiving full health care for whatever illnesses they have related to reseal-deseal. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs has had a repatriation system in place for 87 years. The final details of the lump sum amount will be known shortly. It has been worked out such that it does not interrelate poorly with other schemes in place. However, it is not true to say that those who have been exposed do not have full health care for any illness related to their exposure in the tanks. Nor is it true to say that people have not had claims submitted and fully accepted by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.