Oral Answers to Questions

Scott Benton Excerpts

Thursday 14th July 2022 Commons Chamber

[Lee Anderson (Ashfield) (Con)]

2. What recent progress his Department has made on implementing the Veterans Strategy Action Plan.

[Scott Benton (Blackpool South) (Con)]

4. What recent progress his Department has made on implementing the Veterans Strategy Action Plan.

[James Sunderland (Bracknell) (Con)]

18. What recent progress his Department has made on implementing the Veterans Strategy Action Plan.

--- Later in debate ---

[Johnny Mercer]

I thank my hon. Friend for his relentless advocacy for the small but very important cohort who struggle with life after service. We have now established Op Courage, the UK’s first single care pathway through NHS mental health services for those who need them. It had 19,000 referrals in its first year last year. I encourage people to engage with the service to talk about their mental health and not suffer in silence. Help is there, and I say to them, “You can get better, and the system is there to look after you.”

[Scott Benton]

I wholeheartedly welcome the Government’s ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to be a veteran. To achieve that, we must prioritise supporting veterans with their mental health. Will my hon. Friend set out how the new digital identification service will contribute towards that?