Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what budget has been allocated to the Office for Veterans Affairs since its inception.

The Government recognises the lifelong duty which the nation owes to those who serve in the Armed Forces. The Government created the Office for Veterans' Affairs (OVA) to ensure veterans are represented right at the heart of Government for the first time.

The OVA will be responsible for coordinating the Government's services and support for veterans. It will lead the delivery of the Strategy for our Veterans, to realise the Government's ambition of making the UK the best place to be a veteran anywhere in the world by 2028.

The OVA will shortly set out the first action plan containing targets for the OVA to deliver initiatives for veterans and the commitments by Departments to make improvements in the support they offer.

With regard to the OVA’s budget, I refer the Rt. Hon. member to the answer I gave him on 22 October 2019, to question 1606.