ARMED Forces veterans need to be reassured that their data will not be used by financial scammers after the recent cyber attack on the Ministry of Defence, a West Yorkshire MP told Parliament.

Jason McCartney, the Conservative MP for Colne Valley, in Kirklees, was speaking during a debate on the defence personnel data breach - and raised the question of how the issue might affect 'worried' veterans.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps says there is evidence of “potential failings” of the contractor operating the payroll system that was hacked, “which may have made it easier for the malign actor” to gain access to the bank details of service personnel and veterans.

Mr McCartney said: "May I delve into how veterans are being reassured that their data is not being used by, for example, financial scammers?

"As a Royal Air Force veteran, I am the proud president of the RAF Association in Huddersfield, which I know will be very worried about this issue.

"Will the Secretary of State be using forces charities such as the Royal Air Forces Association, the Royal British Legion, the RAF Benevolent Fund, SSAFA and many more to reassure veterans that their data will not be used by financial scammers?"

Mr Shapps replied: "We have written to each of those organisations, both to enlist their support and to provide the detail and information to which the House has been privy.

"A commercial organisation will now be monitoring the personal data of the individuals affected. That would include, for example, the data being used in a suspicious way, appearing on the dark web, or any other outcome. In a way, an additional layer of security will be attached to these individuals. Again, I can confirm that, as of this moment, we have seen no suspicious activity at all on those accounts."

Senior Tories have called for tougher action on China after speculation that Beijing is responsible for a large-scale cyber attack.

While the Government has said that state involvement cannot be ruled out, it declined to identify the culprit and said it cannot release further details “for reasons of national security”.

Former leader of the Conservative Party Sir Iain Duncan Smith urged the Government to put China in the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme.

The Conservative MP (Chingford and Woodford Green) asked: “Why in heaven’s name don’t we take the decision to place this malign actor into that enhanced place and then make sure we deal with them accordingly?”

Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee Alicia Kearns called on the Government to “get the Foreign Office changing our position” on China.