Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress his Department has made on phase two of the roll-out of veterans ID cards.

Phase one of the Veterans' Recognition Scheme is complete, with Service leavers receiving a HM Armed Forces Veterans' Recognition Card as part of the discharge process; since December 2018, over 56,000 such Cards have been issued to Service leavers. Phase two will extend the scheme to existing veterans so they can more quickly, easily, and securely prove they served in the UK Armed Forces.

As announced during Armed Forces week, more than £1 million in new money is being invested into a new digital service for veterans. This will make it easier and quicker to demonstrate military service in order to access a range of Government and charity services and will in turn help ensure that Recognition Cards are given only to those with verified service. The Government remains committed to delivering Veterans' Recognition Cards and will advise of a timescale for final delivery when this work is complete.