Dear Service Personnel and Veterans Agency,

I am making this request within the Freedom of Information Act

Please provide the following information:

1. What guidance/direction is given to SPVA staff with regard to identifying and dealing with War Pension claims for Gulf War related illnesses?

2. What symptoms are used by the SPVA to identify claims that would be classified as a Gulf War related illness?

3. Of those military and ex military personnel that have claimed for war pensions, what percentage have been awarded a War Pension?

4. Of those that have been awarded a War Pension, please break the figures down by level of award (eg, 25% of pensions awarded were at the 40% disability level)

Yours faithfully,

Mike Sutherland

Dear Service Personnel and Veterans Agency,

To clarify question 3, I wish to know what percentage of claimants for Gulf War related illnesses have received a War Pension and not claimants in general.

Similarly, question 4 relates to Gulf War illnesses.

Yours faithfully,

Mike Sutherland

Dear Service Personnel and Veterans Agency,

By law, the authority should normally have responded promptly and by 19 March 2012. Please provide an explanation for not complying with the law and for the complete lack of communication up to this point.

Yours faithfully,

Mike Sutherland

Dear Service Personnel and Veterans Agency,

FINAL FOLLOW-UP BEFORE INVOLVING INFORMATION COMMISSIONER

Please respond to this FOI request asap. Should you be having difficulties with your response please acknowledge this and let me know what is causing the delay.

Should a response not be forthcoming by Friday 31 March 2012 at 12 midday I will escalate this breach of the law to the Information Commissioner.

Yours faithfully,

Mike Sutherland

Dear Service Personnel and Veterans Agency,

30 minutes until this goes to the Information Commissioner!

Yours faithfully,

Mike Sutherland

Dear Service Personnel and Veterans Agency,

Formal complaint raised with ICO regarding the breach of law by SPVA in that they have not responded in good time and have made no effort to correspond!

Yours faithfully,

Mike Sutherland

Dear Service Personnel and Veterans Agency,

Still heard nothing from you. ICO has been informed.

Yours faithfully,

Mike Sutherland

Dear SPVA-DCS Sec Offr 2a2 (Butler, Elaine D),

As per my addendum to the original request (http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/gu...) please supply information as follows:

3. Of those military and ex military personnel that have claimed for war pensions relating to Gulf War service, what percentage have been awarded a War Pension?

4. Of those that have been awarded a War Pension relating to Gulf War Service, please break the figures down by level of award (eg, 25% of pensions awarded were at the 40% disability level)

The link provided to the DASA stats does not break the figures down to cover Gulf Veterans/Pensions.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Mike Sutherland

Dear SPVA-DCS Sec Offr 2a2 (Butler, Elaine D),

A reply was expected from SPVA bt 21 June, can you please inform me of the reason for the delay or to provide the answers I requested.

Yours sincerely,

Mike Sutherland