Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the representatives of the (a) service charity sector, (b) in-scope bodies and (c) veteran community his Department plans to consult with as part of the Independent Review of UK Government Welfare Services for Veterans.

An interdepartmental team, led by a Senior Civil Servant, has now been appointed to lead the Independent Review of UK Government Welfare Services for Veterans. David Richmond, the Government's Independent Veterans Adviser, is working closely with the Lead Reviewer to ensure a diverse range of veteran representatives are engaged. The review is expected to last around three months. Currently there are no plans to engage external consultants on this review, although the lead reviewer is a Senior Civil Servant who is external to the Ministry of Defence (MOD).

Alongside the Lead Reviewer there are a further two civil servants working full-time on the review. They will be supported as necessary by others within the Cabinet Office and the MOD. There are currently no plans to provide additional funding for the Review.

Services which are part of the review are:

Veterans Welfare Service

Defence Transition Services

Integrated Personal Commissioning for Veterans

The Northern Ireland Veterans Support Office

The Veterans' Gateway

The Veterans Advisory Pensions Committees

Ilford Park Polish Home

This work will complement the Quinquennial Review of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, which is due to be published shortly.

The report on UK Government Welfare Services for Veterans will be published by autumn 2023 and will include full recommendations and a list of who was consulted as part of the review. The MOD and Office for Veterans' Affairs will develop an action plan to address the findings and recommendations, with a focus on implementing meaningful change that will enhance service effectiveness and delivery. A copy of the review and the Government's response will be placed in the Library of the House.