Oral Answers to Questions

Mary Creagh Excerpts

Monday 15th January 2018 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Mary Creagh (Wakefield) (Lab)]

1. Whether he has plans to strengthen the armed forces covenant.

[Sir David Amess (Southend West) (Con)]

5. What progress he has made on establishing an armed forces covenant and veterans board.

[The Secretary of State for Defence (Gavin Williamson)]

The Ministry of Defence published the armed forces covenant annual report in December 2017, which outlined the progress made to strengthen the covenant. Notable achievements include the establishment of a new ministerial covenant and veterans board, which had its first meeting in October 2017. The next ministerial covenant and veterans board meeting is due in the spring.

[Mary Creagh]

I thank the Secretary of State for that reply. Before Christmas, I visited the Community Awareness Project in Wakefield, and many of its homeless clients are former armed services personnel. The Veterans Association UK estimates that there are 13,000 homeless veterans. They are guaranteed priority access to social housing under the armed forces covenant, but it is impossible to know that unless they are counted in the census. Will he commit—here, today—to count armed forces personnel and veterans in the census, as recommended by the Office for National Statistics?

[Gavin Williamson]

I thank the hon. Lady for highlighting that, and I assure her that, yes, we will do so.