Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many veterans’ organisations were not successful in applying for VALOUR Development Funding; and how many veterans this is expected to affect.

In March, the government announced the first 14 lead organisations under VALOUR, which is currently operating 21 VALOUR Recognised Centres (VRC), backed by over £13 million of government funding. The centres span the whole of the country, including centres in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and across England.

A second round for organisations and consortia to bid for funding closed in August, I will make a final decision on which organisations have been successful, and the results will be announced soon.

Alongside this, the VALOUR Campaign Site has launched to help veterans and their families find their nearest VRC, access MOD Veterans Services, and explain the breadth of support available across the UK.

A new digital service will also be introduced for VALOUR, aiming to offer as many options as possible to help veterans and their families find the right support, especially for those unable to travel to a VRC.