Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to support the Commonwealth Veterans 8 faced with unaffordable bills for healthcare due to their residential status.

The NHS provides a range of outstanding physical and mental health care support for the Armed Forces community. There are some Armed Forces veterans whose residency status does not currently entitle them to free healthcare for conditions not related to their Armed Forces service; discussions are underway to address this anomaly. All non-UK personnel who serve in the Armed Forces for a minimum of four years, and those medically discharged before then as a result of an attributable injury or illness, have the option to settle in the UK at the conclusion of their service through bespoke Armed Forces immigration arrangements which include the full use of the NHS.

There is also provision in existing immigration rules for individuals who have served in the Armed Forces to re-apply to have their immigration status reviewed under certain circumstances or to apply where the normal timeframes for an application have expired. There should be no doubt the Government is committed to making it easier for service personnel and their families to settle in the UK once they have completed their service and is exploring ways to achieve this