Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with charities that provide assistance to veterans who have (a) conducted and (b) assisted with Explosive Ordnance Disposal duties.

The Government works closely with the Armed Forces charity sector, who play a vital part in the wider support system for veterans; I meet regularly with representatives of Armed Forces charities to discuss the support available and how we can work effectively together. I am actively exploring ways of simplifying and coordinating access to Government support, which includes working in partnership with the charity sector to harness and cohere that support.