Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that veterans are aware of the services available to them and kept informed of the support they can access.

The Government is committed to ensuring that veterans across the UK have easier access to the essential care and support that is available to them.

Over £26 million of development funding for VALOUR-recognised centres (VRC) has been allocated in two rounds of funding, with the second round of funding recently announced. £13.2 million will be distributed to 21 organisations across the UK to give veterans and their families easier access to healthcare, jobs and housing, ensuring the right support, in the right place at the right time.

This builds on the fourteen VRC announced earlier in the year, including Brooke House Health and Well-being Centre in Northern Ireland which was awarded £1 million in March.

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.

VALOUR staff will maintain and evolve existing stakeholder networks within NI and across the country, improving collaboration, coordination, and access to services for veterans, enabling data-driven policy and service development to ensure that services are designed to meet local needs.