Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to bring the delivery of veterans’ aftercare within the remit of Veterans UK.

The Ministry of Defence’s review into the Ulster Defence Regiment and Royal Irish (Home Service) Aftercare Service has begun and is currently considering 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 will consider all services currently provided to veterans in Northern Ireland via the Aftercare Service, alongside ongoing wider Government veterans’ programmes and initiatives. This presents a real opportunity to improve co-ordination of services to offer all veterans residing in Northern Ireland long-term stability for inclusive, coherent, and consistent support.

The review is ongoing, and no firm conclusions have yet been drawn on the future structure of veterans’ service delivery in Northern Ireland. The review is due to report in the spring of 2022.