Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's planned timescale is for the independent review into the service and experience of LGBT veterans who served between 1967 to 2000.

Defence and the Office for Veterans’ Affairs jointly commissioned the independent review to better understand the impacts and implications of the pre 2000 policy relating to homosexual people serving in HM Armed Forces. The review underlines Defence’s unwavering commitment to understanding how best to support its veteran and LGBT community.

LGBT veterans who served from 1967 to 2000 were invited to provide testimony of their experience. Testimony was also sought from those who witnessed the treatment of LGBT personnel; those involved in delivering the ban and friends and families of LGBT veterans no longer able to give evidence. The call seeking this testimony and views from individuals and organisations was made on 5 August 2022 and closed on 1 December 2022.

The report and recommendations are expected to be submitted for the Government’s consideration in May 2023. Defence will endeavour to publish the review as quickly as possible.