Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Office for Veterans’ Affairs provides oversight of military charities.

Charities are independent from Government and are regulated by the Charity Commission for England and Wales, the Scottish Charities Regulator or the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland depending on location. Specific services provided by charities are subject to other regulators as appropriate, such as the Care Quality Commission or the Fundraising Regulator.

The Office for Veterans’ Affairs works closely with many Armed Forces charities who play a vital part of the wider support system for veterans, and I am also actively exploring ways of simplifying and cohering access to Government support, working in partnership with the charity sector.