10. Question No. 10—DefenceCHRIS PENK (National—Kaipara ki Mahurangi) to the Minister of DefenceQuestion No. 10—Defence10. CHRIS PENK (National—Kaipara ki Mahurangi) to the Minister of Defence: What if anything is he doing to resolve waiting times of up to 140 working days veterans face in seeking medical records and medal entitlement information?Hon NANAIA MAHUTA (Minister of Foreign Affairs) on behalf of the Minister of Defence: I want to begin by acknowledging all ex-servicemen and -women and the pride they bring our country. I'm advised that most requests for a copy of a veteran's medical files are treated as urgent and processed within 10 working days when received through Veterans' Affairs New Zealand. Understanding the definition of a veteran is outlined in the Act and given priority. The reason some take up to 140 days can be due to the nature of the request complexity of the situation the requestor or because the request is unclear in its purpose. I'm further advised that any request relating to a funeral or terminal illness is prioritised.Chris Penk: What are the implications for veterans who are subjected to such lengthy wait times in terms of accessing health services and other entitlements?Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: Can I reiterate that if for the purposes of a medical entitlement a requestor has been clear in their request they are given priority in the queue and a response I've been advised will be processed within 10 working days.Chris Penk: Does the Minister intend to introduce or support legislation that would re-establish a time frame for the Government to provide important information such as medical records to veterans?Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: In relation to requests that are made for the purposes of claiming medical entitlements as has been made clear in questions that have been responded to by the Minister there are 10 working days in which the request is processed. There is a triage process. It is a manual process and that is critical to ensuring that the nature of the response is relative to what the request is for because the same unit also deals with requests for medal entitlements.Chris Penk: Point of order. My question was in relation to the reintroduction of a statutory time frame as opposed to the operational aspect of how requests are handled currently.Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: At present I'm not aware that there's any legislation pending.Chris Penk: Does the Minister think that this situation aligns with the sentiments of the Prime Minister at Anzac Day about sharing recognition and respect with all who have served our country on this most special day?Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: If I understand the nature of that question which may well be in relation to requests for information in relation to medals as the Minister made clear in written question No. 19836 a requestor can expect to receive a response within 10 to 140 working days. Often time varies with the complexity of the applications that are being processed.Chris Penk: What is the Minister's response to veterans who perceive that this Government pays lip service to veterans' issues on Anzac Day but is uninterested in issues affecting them the other 364 days a year?Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: I reject the premise of that question. In fact Veterans' Affairs have engaged in regional conversations with veterans around the services that they provide to veterans.