Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to engage with people affected by the ban on LGBT people serving in the British Armed Forces prior to the start of discussions on a financial settlement.

The Government has engaged with people affected by the Ban throughout the response to the Independent Review; the response can be viewed at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lgbt-veterans-independent-review-government-response.

Defence has worked closely with key stakeholders on the design of the scheme, enabling the voices of the veterans to be heard. Indications of interest were invited through the application process for non-financial restorative measures, aiding Defence in understanding more about the affected community and ensuring that the scheme considers the needs of the community. Further information regarding the restorative measures can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lgbt-veterans-apply-for-restorative-measures.

I recently held a briefing in which I welcomed questions and listened to the concerns of veterans directly from their MPs. This Government is committed to holding a Parliamentary debate to ensure Parliamentary scrutiny is given to the design of the scheme and that all veterans concerns may be represented.

Further information about available support and next steps can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/lgbt-veterans-support-and-next-steps