09/08/2012 Newsnight

They go to war, and come back seriously injured. Are we failing

to look after our wounded soldiers? getting the help they need. And

expensive buildings. Rather than see ever again. I won't see that

responds. I refute this idea that some how there is something wrong

with charities being involved in the work that we do with injured

service people, and disabled the general staff, and the charity,

Nicola Adams becomes the first-ever woman to win boxing gold at the

Olympics. But in the men's boxing, Newsnight asks whether it is always

a fair fight. We spoke to people at the very heart of Olympic boxing,

who alleged medals could be bought and sold for the right price here

takes charge in October is hopefully going to tell us.

Those who put their lives on the country, deserve all the financial

give them. That's what the Ministry of Defence said today, in response

to criticism, uncovered in a report by Newsnight, and the Bureau of

have heard a bit about it already, here is the full story. A word of

warning, this report contains some graphic images.

British troops under fire. Bearing the brunt of an early Taliban

offensive. The wounded returning home, maimed, scarred for life.

Your whole treatment, you are get fixed. There is no proper care

have died than fund his rehabilitation and his care. We

have had to fight constantly for every aspect of Ben's life. The MoD

will not see them again, I won't have left. A year ago, the Military

Covenant was enshrined in law, setting out the Government's legal

responsibility to serving personnel and veterans. But how well do we

And military charities, with more than a billion in the bank, why are

our wounded still saying they are not getting the help they need.

A reception fit for a hero. Lance Bombardier Ben Parkinson, still

serving, is one of the worst injuries, losing both legs, with

He now lives with his mother, and stepfather. You want to stay in

your bed not in the car? You send away a 22-year-old,

incredibly fit, paratrooper, and what comes back is the same person,

but the life is changed forever, You would think that nothing could

fight for the basics that he needs to make some kind of life. So far,

fewer than 2,000 service personnel have been seriously wounded in

Afghanistan and Iraq. Many with horrific blast injuries from mines

and IEDs. I remember just sprinting and then just massive, massive bang.

And then I woke up on the floor. It when I was getting dragged against

the floor, my brain was bouncing on Sometimes I wish I had, I was in

agony. I went to sleep with an arm, longer there. I was just like,

flipping hell. What do you do? 20 years old what

do I do? And his treatment by the MoD was less than sympathetic. He

remembers being fitted with his first prosthetic limb. The first

one I got was white, it was like a small white hand this big, in that

shape. I was like, OK? That is. I felt better in myself going out

in public with it on. So I just had enshrined the Military Covenant in

although capped. There are plans for new centres to retrain the

injured. The Murrison Reviews of the last two years resulted in

extra money for amputee prosthetics, and those suffering from post-

traumatic stress disorder. But still those we spoke to, say the

system is failing. The problem comes when you leave. When you are

discharged from the forces. Everybody is terrified of this

discharge date. Because you know that once the discharge comes, then

you are back on the mercy of the NHS. We know many who struggle with

sockets, which is the bit that actually fits on to the stump. The

NHS thinking it is that it's up to 11 layers of socks on the

stump to actually make it fit. the prosthetic arm he has been

offered is not up to scratch. know I have a false leg and false

arm, it doesn't mean I don't want walking around like this and that.

I want walk as normally as I K that is megaimportant. I still want --

as I can. That is mega-important, I want a proper fake hand, I don't

just want anything on it. wasn't as good as the one I went

there with. I got my own one, I it? �7,000. The might was wounded

support for charities trying to plug the gap. For the first time,

assessed the worth of military raise nearly �700 million a year.

charitable purposes. Just over a billion sits in the bank. With

newer than 2,000 seriously injured from recent conflicts, it begs the

question, why are they not getting prominent charity, by far, is Help

for Heroes. Its rise to fame and founded by Bryn Parry, a former

army officer and his wife. I think saw some amazing young men with

terrible injuries, and we were just moved, so there wasn't, I don't

think our motivation was ever criticising, our motivation was

purely trying to do something to help. We felt really inadequate,

going to hospitals was the most shocking thing I had had ever done.

It was a simple desire to try to do something.

So far, Help for Heroes has raised �141 million. This is the charity's

flagship project, Tedworth House in Tidworth, Wiltshire. This is the

Home, leased from the MoD, it is a grade II listed building. �20

million of oppulent luxury, it is a cross between Grand Designs and an

English Heritage advert. Marble statues, stained glass windows,

ornate plaster work. Renovated to the highest standards, with charity

best, and I have an image of a mother or a wife coming down that

drive to the best house in Tidworth officers' mess, not full of

privileged people, but full of the rank and file. I know that mother

appreciated. The vast majority of Help for Heroes spending is on

these personnel recovery centres, building and services five bespoke

MoD facilities around the country. The overall planned spend is �153

million. Primarily for serving service personnel. Veterans can

only return on a priority, case-by- criticism. It is coming from close

who work there are great, and they But, I think they have got so much

let's do it, rather than �100 million being spent on limbs for

every single guy who has been going to see ever again, because

Parkinson has been given unique status. While other seriously

wounded soldiers are being discharged, he is still serving.

And Help for Heroes, not the MoD, is paying for his physiotherapy.

His mother, duornduornduorn, also questions spending so much charity

money on capital construction projects. We find it difficult to

see these buildings, these edifices that are being paid for by charity.

It's our belief that the MoD, if there is building work, if there is

the need for a location, that should be the MoD's responsibility.

to support these guys, to support their families. We asked Bryn Parry

whether spending millions on MoD use of charity funds, or should it

it be wonderful, that is utopia. It wasn't going to happen, unless we

public truly understands that the bulk of your money has gone on

capital construction projects? That is exactly what we have been

started. Corporal Harris Tatakis, tau some of the fiercest fighting

the last day of his tour when he was deployed on one last offensive,

burning flesh, it does smell of all black, the diesel fuel, the

blast came up my lefthand side, it was all black and burned, I

couldn't see any skin on it. I remember the pain from the leg.

back together, with injuries to his was discharged just over a year ago.

I left, and nothing. Not even a was doing and coping. I was having

no treatment, my treatment had stopped, cold turkey.

into his recovery centre in will solve the problem, that they

are there for our injured and any more. They are right, the

priority has to be the guys who are newly injured. But, just because

you are discharged, doesn't mean five recovery centres, only two,

outside the wire, or accessible to those no longer serving. And they

are all primarily for serving service personnel. Veterans can

only return on a priority case-by- case basis. General Lord Dannatt

-- Lord Dannatt is the former head the recovery centres. He

acknowledges there is a problem, and says a more co-ordinated,

independent approach is needed. idea of a veterans' Tsar was mooted

doesn't seem to much like it either. The Prime Minister would say he's

chairing a cabinet committee in the best interests of the veterans and

soldiers. I think someone who stands independent of Government,

keeping Government up to the mark, mark and keep the charities in line,

there is a case for that. fringe certificate pointed squarely

spurred the likes of Help for Heroes to step up to the plate. But

the charity has to work within perameters set by the MoD. And

according to our worst wounded, charity money, they are still not

getting what they need. It makes me absolutely everything for Ben. I

it bearable at the time was the thought that we are doing this so

nobody else will have to. I wish I to talk to the Secretary of State,

Philip Hammond. Would you like to take this opportunity to apologise

to those injured soldiers who feel let down by your ministry? Well,

centres, I think, is one in which we can be very pleased with the

result that is we are achieving. always be some people who are

their particular, personal cases, and every case is different. Every

plan is tailored, everybody is looked at as an individual. I can't

say nothing has gone wrong for anybody, but the personnel recovery

centres created have been a fantastic advance in the way we

or back to worthwhile activity in civilian society. I want to ask you

about some of the problems the case of a serving soldier,

Lance Bombardier Ben Parkinson, he injuries, and some brain-damage. He

is still a serving soldier, as you being paid for by charitable

donations. Do you think that's acceptable? I don't know the

circumstances around that particular issue. But I do know

that we work very closely, not just the best possible treatment

in a dedicated military facility, sometimes it will be in an NHS

facility. Sometimes it will be in a third-party facility. Should it be

there is something wrong with work that we do with injured

service people and disabled veterans. Do you share the concerns

of some vet ens, that -- veteran, that Help for Heroes money is being

they think the better way would be understand the concern expressed,

but I believe the personnel recovery centres have been a major

and important innovation. They home they can go to for

recuperation or rehabilitation, themselves. They need somewhere

where their care can be co- ordinated. Although, in the case of

Ted worth house in Wiltshire, Help doing it up, this is place with

windows, yet as we heard in the report, some veterans are

bit of a contradiction there? a listed building, and bringing it

back into use has meant complying around listed buildings, including

restoration. What Help for Heroes building, as a centre fitting for

the heros they are going to look appropriate? MoD, which owns the

building, is leaseing it for �1. Help for Heroes, really expect it

to be spent on marble statues? have, of course, chosen to build a

modern building for �20 million on a Greenfield site, that looked very

much like any other NHS site or take a lease of �1 a year, of this

to service. That is a judgment, it has to be for them to make that

report a serving soldier, who is having a charity pay for his

tell us they haven't been able to Are you going to take up the

suggestion of Lord Dannatt, and appoint a veterans' Tsar to sort

going on in the past, and has been resolved, thanks to Murrison murs's

report, and the admission -- Murrison murs's report, anded

to the NHS. You have put it to me that veterans can't get access to

issues that need to be worked on. We have established a cross

Government cabinet committee, led and we are only in early August. It

notish just issues around veterans, but serving personnel and families.

We have enshrined in law the Military Covenant, and we are

making it work. It isn't going to Finally, I must ask you about the

news about the body parts, and tissue from 30 soldiers killed in

Afghanistan, were kept without permission from their families. How

did that happen? We're investigating exactly how it did

happen, and the army has issued an of those people involved. It

shouldn't have happened. The taking of samples is routine, in some

cases the retention of them is But it should always be done with

permission of the next of kin. And reasons that we are not absolutely

clear about at the moment, we are the army will want to make a

happened, and how we can be confident that it won't happen

again. Let's discuss all this further with

some of the people we saw in that report, former Royal Marine, Ben

McBean, injured in service in Afghanistan. General Lord Dannatt,

2009, and the chief executive of Help for Heroes, Bryn Parry. What

did you think of what the minister said? It didn't seem like he

about. There is a lot of things going on, which he didn't seem to

know about, or want to really comment on. I mean, don't get me

wrong, the public aren't upset and I haven't heard anyone moan, I'm

to do with it, that is irrelevant. You were complaining about the

buildings? The buildings itself, what it is, I'm sat here now as an

in Plymouth, I know there is a lot of people not happy with Help for

something, and it is my job to. What it is, for example, people who

they assume it goes to guys like way, shape or form, as a civilian

they are seeing, and what they think is happening is it is being

spent on bricks and mortar. That is bringing it up. Are you sure you

speak for thousands of people? Definitely, I have e-mails, people

have sent me letters since my injury, people have written to me

and said things. I have had letters saying why are you a Help for

Heroes, why don't they help the minister took the view, that there

are thousands much -- of skefrs personnel veryfied with the

treatment they receive, and no system is perfect, and we are

helped hundreds, if not thousands have had since your article

appeared in the news today. I sneed to point out Ben is a brill -- I

need to point out Ben is a brilliant guy, and has Donmarthons

and climbed Everest, we have to are here for you now. The people

not the young Royal Marines who move on, we want to make sure they

are ready before they move on. Once they do, and if they get out in

veterans are still being seen on a priority case-by-case basis. In

Tedworth it is still a majority of serving personnel? It is, we have

had 44 through since we opened the temporary acomcation, out of 250

servicemen. We have veterans working there on job creation

schemes. We have had the former general coming in last week with a

view to use the aqua jogger and tread mill. We are there for life.

We do individual support, I have been looking at the figures, over

2,000 individual cases of year-and-a-half. Amounting to over

want to take up is Help for Heroes, and none of the serving charities,

do prosthetics, that has to be the Government work. When we first

started, we went in to try to help. Review, we were perhaps not

providing a comprehensive support December 2010, please let me finish,

we were enabled to get the Murrison Review to start, that support is

now there. Thank you very much for that. I want to bring Lord Dannatt

on the point of access to all of five of them, and the veterans

them, because they are behind the wire, they are in garrisons. You

have raised concerns about that in the past, are you happier now?

while strategy on which the is Headly Court, and then what?

Ministry of Defence saw the problem slow. If Help for Heroes and other

charities had not put significant have happened. What is really

serving wounded today, are the point of making the buildings

young cohort, wounded in Iraq and those centres will be available for

them. The big trick is to get the Ministry of Defence understand it?

put rather more forcefully to Philip Hammond. We are clear,

that they are for veterans. That is why, in the early days of Help for

Heroes, it was thought it might only exist as a fund-raising

charity for a few years. Then it Iraq and Afghanistan, and for the

rest of their lives. Ben here, a wonderful chap, with the rest of

have done lots of work for Help for speaking on behalf of loads of

people, it is me with the balls to sit here and say it. People aren't

moaning about prosthetic limbs, what it is about is people are

unhappy, I know this, they are unhappy because, for example, the

Government, who should be spending Tedworth House, it is their duty it

is their problem, Help for Heroes should be saving their �20 million

on other things. What would I spend it on? Limbs for example, so the

guys don't ring me up today and say like that. Do you feel that

the Ministry of Defence should be wonderful world if the Ministry of

Defence and Government could do what is right or wrong or somebody

British Legion, massive partner, we are working with all the service

charities to create something in British history something as

good as this has happened. It is a great shame that some people are

into it. The support will be there for these guys' lives, that is

important. It is not about knocking, and make it obsolete, that is not

opinion, and people are saying they are not happy with Help for Heroes,

you obviously can't take that, I'm not knocking it, or saying negative

people who are happy with Help for Heroes. I gathered that. You have

to crater for those who aren't are like me in the same boat.

Thank you. The quest for gold at the London Olympics has excited the

world. All that drama as athletes at the height of their powers

compete to be the best of the best. Including Nicola Adams in the

women's boxing today. But is relation, uncovered evidence of

secret payments of millions of dollars from Azerbaijan, and there

was claims that they could guarantee gold medals in boxing at

the Olympics for Azerbaijan. As the closing bell sounds, Nicola

to underline the superiority she showed. This is exactly what fans

have come to see at Olympic boxing? Nicola Adams of Great Britain, has

just made sporting history. She is the first Olympic boxing champion.

tournament. But some of the men's results haven't been quite so clear

cut. Eyebrows were first raised last Wednesday night, as Azerbaijan

the boxer from ass zer by January in blue, went down, not once, not

down, not once, not twice. But six times. And the referee still

declared him the winner. The result, another blow for the integrity of

Olympic boxing. (crowd boos) You can understand why

the Japanese fighter is disgusted. He will go over and shake his

opponent's hand, but an empty one. After an appeal by Japan, the

decision was overturned, the boxer the referee was on the next plane

home to Turkmenistan. But then, four days later, another boxer from

Azerbaijan wins, astounding the audience. I don't believe it,

whatsoever. How did they give that to the man from Azerbaijan.

didn't agree with that decision at all. There is a lot of speculation

flying around about the relationship between Azerbaijan and

the World Series of boxing, and all sorts of things, and there were

I really believe in my heart of hearts. Jim Neily, commentating on

suprised a lot of people. He has had two iffy decisions, in his

favour n my opinion. Belarus also appealed, this time it wasn't

fighters in the finals, that means they are guaranteed two bronze

they win the next bout, they will be fighting for gold. That won't

we got hold of a confidential investment agreement between

someone from Azerbaijan, and World Series Boxing, run by the same

people in charge of Olympic boxing. The investor from Azerbaijan, paid

$9 million to fund an almost quid pro quo, they said the deal

was for two gold medals at the Olympics. So long as they got the

medals, WSB would have the cash. What do they mean by that? Well,

London Olympics, those medals. It care ass better by January. That

Ivan is the head of World Series Boxing? We put it to them. We have

very transparent organisation. We have done everything in our power

ruled in a bad manner. We have witnesses who said you promised

Azerbaijan two gold medals in that to us? I don't know who are

the witnesses? The President of the International boxing association,

allegations were untrue and transparent way, with a "zero

Boxing has had its fair share of scandals and accusations of match-

fixing, the most memorable at the Seoul Olympics, when Roy Jones

fighter. Three judges were suspended. The word was booking

authorities had been bribed $2 million by South Korea in return

for two medals. Boxing has to be seen to be squeaky clean in London.

Jones scandal, the whiff of that the IOC would have to look

seriously at boxing. If the British heavyweight, Anthony Joshua, and

the Azieri come through to fight, it won't be the first time. They

met in Azerbaijan when Joshua lost. for the Olympic Games. But this

time, their match will come under more scrutiny than ever before.

Tonight we have received a Azerbaijan, in exchange for two

gold medals at the Olympic Games in London is untrue. He said he has

worked extremely hard over the last six years to clean up amateur

There is only one way to win a gold at the Olympic Games, that is to

happens after all the athletes park like no other. What is

happening to those builders we have for the masses. Continuing our look

we look at what's going to happen �6 billion spent on glistening new

venues for this summer's games. What happens when those long

memories of the golds fade away. established itself, and why not the

Olympics again! Come on, does made an unanswerable case for

next 20 years. Another Olympic bid front of the world's media, Boris

Johnson set out his future plans for the Olympic site today. We can

secure a transport, housing infrastructure, sporting cultural

London for these games. And turn come. When it comes to the Olympic

Park theself, all the flat-packed dismandled. Eight permanent

structures will remain. The stadium athletics, and maybe for football

as well. The velodrome and BMX track will also stay, along with

London's East End, wasn't just about stadia and infrastructure, it

was about creating decent, affordable housing, in one of the

capital. Now the end is in sight, real questions are being asked

about London's ability to deliver on that promise. On July 27th, 2013,

exactly a year after the Opening Ceremony, London should get a brand

new open space. Another �300 million is being spent developing

what will be called the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Thousands

of new homes will eventually be built on the site. The first set of

properties converted from flats in sold at the going rate, the other

half will be called "affordable homes", a mix of council housing,

shared ownership, and artificially controlled rents. But, that

definition of "affordable", depending on how much you earn.

homes can be rented out at up to 80% of the market rate. In this

part of London, that could mean �750 a month for a two-bedroom flat,

little more than a dream. The years. Affordability does not mean

what it used to mean. You are salaries of �50,000 plus to get

have got 35,000 people on the housing waiting list. Over 3,000 in

entry ticket to the race? They just don't have it. Locals worry that

any new flats blil built in the park may be affordable -- built in

is responsible for developing the He says building larger states of

don't want to return to council isn't the right way to go. Having

moment. It is the sale of private housing that will enable the London

Legacy Development Corporation to fund the construction of the

affordable housing. It is basic The creation of the Olympic Park

City and the West End, of meant to end up in deprived inner city areas.

The trick will be to do that without pricing local people out of

London's new golden quarter. the London Borough of Kensington

people itching for the gaiplts to be over and out of the way?

way? I would love them to go on. back to what a tip that area was

five or six years ago, the transformation has been remarkable.

our job to carry on another stage of transformation, and prepare it

have jobs and work. What about affordable housing, what does

"affordable" mean, you heard the current environment. We do have a

target across the whole park, of 35% affordable housing, the

under different types of different definition, some social rented,

just like council housing, but run by housing associations. You saw

housing association. Some will be markets. We do want a mixed and

of money would people need to get People going into social rented

housing don't necessarily need any social rented housing are normally

appeal to a different mix of private housing on the park. No-one

difficulty in this area, in this if you are a shopkeeper. If you

succeed in this area, and you want to stay and buy a house and have

area. We want to make sure the people who are successful in Newham,

the shopkeepers, the businessmen, choices and opportunities to stay

You raise a general question, of course, under Government policies,

what are the criteria of affordable, to answer -- in a position to --

ambition targets for different types of affordable housing and we

Do you think you will make a dent in the social housing list in

Newham of 35,000 people? I think we will, and maybe a bit more of a

dent. This is a London-wide problem, the main reason that housing is so,

pensive in London, is there is an awful lot of demand, and not

sufficient supply. We actually need tens and tens of thousands,

hundreds of thousands of new homes in the capital, over a lengthy

period, in order to accommodate people affordably, that is the

reason the prices are so high, if you are in the private sector. We

are, nonetheless, doing what we can, there are going to be over 10,000

homes on the Olympic Park, if you include the athletes' village in

that, there will be jobs available for people as well. Many of those