Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times the disability employment gap was discussed in Cabinet in each of the last three years; which Cabinet Committee has oversight of the policy; and what were the (1) dates, and (2) outcomes, of the last time it was discussed in that Committee.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
There are a number of Cabinet Committees that could take issues related to disability employment. Cabinet Committees are listed on GOV.UK along with their membership and Terms of Reference. This list of Cabinet Committees on GOV.UK is updated regularly.
It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its Committees, and how often they have met, is not normally shared publicly.
Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to publish (1) the names of members of the Veterans Advisory Board, and (2) the minutes of the Board's meetings.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The Veterans Advisory Board has been established to bring independent advice, challenge and insight to the Government to help deliver the Strategy for our Veterans and its commitment to make the UK the best country in the world to be a veteran. The membership of the Board is available on GOV.UK and the minutes of the Board, which met for the first time on 16 November, will be published in due course.
Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their paper The Strategy for our Veterans, published in November 2018, what progress has been made in improving data collection to help prevent veterans’ suicides.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
Data about suicide rates amongst the general population across England and Wales are reported by the Office for National Statistics using information provided to registrars by coroners in their records of inquest. Historically, governments have relied on specific studies relating to the cause of death, including suicide, amongst veterans’ cohorts from specific campaigns, for example the Falklands campaign and the 1990/91 Gulf conflict. In order to ensure that the Government has the most up-to-date understanding of the prevalence of suicide amongst serving and ex-service personnel, two further studies are being conducted. The first is documenting all causes of death, including suicide, amongst those who have served in the Armed Forces since 2001. This study will continue on an ongoing basis to provide real-time data about causes of death, including suicide, amongst those who have served. A second study is looking at the factors in the year leading up to any confirmed suicide amongst serving and ex-service personnel in the last five years.
Whilst these studies will provide updated and improved data about the prevalence of suicide amongst veterans, the importance of this issue means that the Government is committed to exploring other routes, including a potential role for coroners, by which suicides could be recorded accurately and consistently so as to help inform improved support and interventions aimed at preventing suicide.
Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what support the Office for Veterans' Affairs provides to veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The Government is taking a number of measures to improve mental health support for veterans including those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
These measures start with for individuals whilst serving in the Armed Forces where personnel now undergo ‘through-life’ psychological resilience training. Personnel have access to the Defence Transition service, launched in October 2019. This provides information and support for Service leavers and their families who are most likely to face challenges as they leave the Armed Forces, including those which may impact on their mental health.
The Government continues to invest in the provision of a world-leading mental health pathway in the NHS in England for those who have served in the Armed Forces, which encompasses the Transition Intervention and Liaison Service (TILS) and Complex Treatment Services (CTS). We are also accelerating a new High Intensity Service due to be launched later this year, which will provide further support for those with acute mental health needs. As well as investing in these services, the Government continues to work on improving the awareness of, and access to, these services, with over 800 veteran-friendly GP surgeries. In addition to the provision of statutory services through the NHS, the Government has, through funding provided to the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust and the COVID-19 Impact Fund, continued to invest in charity and third-sector organisations which provide services which support the mental and physical wellbeing of veterans. NHS England and NHS Improvement has also recently provided funding to a number of Armed Forces charities to support serving personnel, veterans and their families during COVID-19.
As well as clinical and charity services, the Government is also funding research and studies to improve the understanding of the issues and instances of mental health, including PTSD amongst the Armed Forces community.
Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps the Office for Veterans' Affairs is taking to work with the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure that veterans who have become unemployed during the COVID-19 pandemic find new employment.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The Department for Work and Pensions is delivering a range of employment support for those affected by COVID-19. These initiatives can benefit those whose employment has been affected by COVID-19, including veterans.
More widely, the Government is committed to helping veterans secure fulfilling and sustainable employment. The Ministry of Defence provides a Career Transition Partnership (CTP) to assist Service leavers in finding employment.
Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding by the Reform think tank that £14.3 billion of public money has been wasted by public sector outsourcing contracts.
Answered by Earl of Courtown - Captain of the Queen's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Government recognises that outsourcing is an important component in a “mixed economy” of government service provision which includes in-house and the voluntary sector. Government needs the dynamism and innovation that only a healthy, diverse marketplace of suppliers can provide and economies of scale mean services can be provided more efficiently and maximise value for the public.
The Government is committed to improving how we work with the private sector to deliver quality public services and value for money. In February 2019, the Government launched the Outsourcing Playbook which sets out eleven new policies to ensure contracts are set up for success and services are protected in the event of a corporate failure.
Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to create an outsourcing regulator with powers to intervene to prevent the waste of taxpayers' money, as advocated by the Reform think tank.
Answered by Earl of Courtown - Captain of the Queen's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
This government will always champion the private sector's vital role in delivering our public services. The Government is committed to delivering value for money but has no plans to create an outsourcing regulator.
The Government has recognised the need for reform and over the past year the Government has made great strides in improving how we work with the private sector with the introduction of the Outsourcing Playbook in February 2019. The Outsourcing Playbook sets out eleven new policies to ensure contracts are set up for success and services are protected in the event of a corporate failure.
The Cabinet Office is working with departments to implement the Playbook across all central Government departments and arm’s-length bodies.
Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
Her Majesty's Government when they intend to bring forward proposals to establish a Veterans Board in the Cabinet Office as outlined in their 2017 Manifesto.
Answered by Lord Young of Cookham
Details of how the Board will be set up are currently being considered and will be announced in due course.