Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the terms of reference for the Ulster Defence Regiment and Royal Irish Aftercare Service review; when the review is due to conclude; and which stakeholders have been consulted so far as part of the review.

Under the ‘New Decade New Approach’ political agreement, the UK Government committed to initiate a review of the Ulster Defence Regiment and Royal Irish Aftercare Service in Northern Ireland. The Terms of Reference for this review consider whether the remit of the Service should be widened to cover all HM Forces veterans living in Northern Ireland with Service-related injuries and conditions.

The review commenced in January 2021. Evidence-based options for Ministerial consideration on the future delivery of services to veterans living in Northern Ireland, based on service size, structure, and funding, will be brought forward in spring 2022.

This review continues to engage with stakeholders who have a role in supporting veterans living Northern Ireland. This includes: Veterans UK, the Ulster Defence Regiment and Royal Irish Aftercare Service, the Veterans Support Organisation (Northern Ireland), the Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner, the Ministry of Defence, Office for Veterans Affairs, and the Northern Ireland Office. Further external engagement is being planned as the project evolves.