Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Gwynne Excerpts

Tuesday 12th May 2020 Commons Chamber

[Christian Wakeford (Bury South) (Con)]

What support his Department has provided to veterans during the covid-19 outbreak.

[Andrew Gwynne (Denton and Reddish) (Lab)]

What support his Department is providing for veterans during the covid-19 outbreak.

[Paula Barker (Liverpool, Wavertree) (Lab)]

What support his Department is providing for veterans during the covid-19 outbreak.

--- Later in debate ---

[Johnny Mercer [V]]

I thank my hon. Friend for his question. I am afraid he may be slightly misinformed; we have not missed any payments. We made 470,000 payments last month. Veterans’ care has not been suspended in the UK. We have, as the Secretary of State alluded to earlier, changed the way we provide services, but I am unaware of a single veteran currently in the care of Veterans UK who has not had their need met during this time.

[Andrew Gwynne [V]]

But that is not good enough. Other Departments and businesses have found ways of operating call centres safely, so at a time when the nation has been awed by the efforts of Captain Tom Moore, why has the Ministry of Defence closed its vital Veterans UK helpline—the telephone service? It is not good enough.

[Johnny Mercer]

I am certainly not going to take lectures on what is and is not good enough from a Labour party whose veterans’ care I experienced over a number of years. No services have been closed. We have changed the way of doing business. Clearly we cannot do new face-to-face consultations at this time. Again, I reiterate that not a single veteran in the care of Veterans UK has had their needs unmet at this time. I would caution Members against politicising what is clearly a very important issue.