The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has outlined its recent efforts to inform veterans potentially affected by contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, a U.S. Marine Corps base.
Responding to a series of questions from Andrew Murrison MP, Al Carns, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Ministry of Defence and Minister for Veterans, detailed actions to encourage veterans to come forward and seek compensation where applicable.
In his first question, Murrison asked: “To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answers of 28 October 2024 to Questions 4187, 4188, and 4189 on USA: Veterans, what steps his Department is taking to encourage Camp Lejeune veterans to come forward if they believe they have been affected by contaminated water.”
Minister Carns responded by clarifying that the U.S. compensation scheme had already been active for nearly two years before it was raised with the new ministerial team on 30 July 2024.
He stated: “On notification, I immediately instructed the Ministry of Defence to release several statements encouraging those who think they may have been affected by contaminated water at Camp Lejeune to contact the department. This was done through an article on Gov.uk, on the Department’s social media accounts and internally through Veterans UK and all three Services.”
In a follow-up question, Murrison asked: “To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2024 to Question 4189 on USA: Veterans, how many Camp Lejeune veterans have contacted his Department as a result of the encouragement cited.”
Carns reported limited responses from veterans, saying: “The Ministry of Defence has received three pieces of Ministerial Correspondence from relatives of veterans and veterans, one letter direct from a veteran and nine Freedom of Information Requests on the matter.” He added: “I once again encourage anyone who was based at Camp Lejeune between 1 August 1953 and 31 December 1987 to write to the Ministry of Defence so that we may provide them with advice.”
Carns also highlighted that veterans who served at Camp Lejeune and believe their health was affected could apply for compensation under the War Pension Scheme, emphasising the government’s commitment to personnel safety.
Murrison also asked whether the Ministry of Defence had engaged with veterans’ organisations to raise awareness. He inquired: “To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answers of 28 October 2024 to Questions 4187, 4188, and 4189 on USA: Veterans, whether he has held discussions with veterans organisations on encouraging Camp Lejeune veterans to come forward if they believe they have been affected by contaminated water.”
Carns confirmed that steps had been taken to inform relevant organisations, saying: “Immediate instruction was given to Service Chiefs to communicate the scheme to anyone who may have been based at Camp Lejeune between 1 August 1953 and 31 December 1987, as well as on Ministry of Defence external channels.” He reiterated that “We take the safety of our personnel very seriously and any veteran that may have served at Camp Lejeune during this period and believe that their health was affected can apply for compensation under the War Pension Scheme.”
