Oral Answers to Questions

Scott Mann Excerpts

Monday 16th March 2020 Commons Chamber

[Peter Aldous (Waveney) (Con)]

1. What steps his Department is taking to support veterans and their families.

[Scott Mann (North Cornwall) (Con)]

3. What steps his Department is taking to support veterans and their families.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Wallace]

My hon. Friend asks an important question about many people who have served our country. I welcome the Government’s recent announcement of £112 million of additional funding to tackle rough sleeping. The Ministry of Defence works closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which leads on this issue. As well as the work that takes place across Whitehall, there are broad and deep networks of forces charities, regimental advisers and forces champions in local authority offices to offer support.

[Scott Mann]

There were some excellent measures in the Budget for veterans and veterans care. Will the Secretary of State elaborate on national insurance contributions for employers, and on how and when those plans might be rolled out?

[Mr Wallace]

The Government will introduce a national insurance holiday for employers of veterans in their first year of civilian employment. A full digital service will be available to employers from April 2022. However, transitional arrangements will be in place in the 2021-22 tax year that will effectively enable employers of veterans to claim this holiday from April 2021. The holiday will exempt employers from any national insurance contribution liability on the veteran’s salary up to the upper earnings limit.