Mentions:
1: Stephen Kinnock (Lab - Aberavon) letter to The Sunday Telegraph warning that“‘any brave men and women who have fought alongside our armed - Speech Link
2: Alison Thewliss (SNP - Glasgow Central) and international laws such as the refugee convention, the UN convention against torture and the UN covenant - Speech Link
3: Diana Johnson (Lab - Kingston upon Hull North) Like the original amendment, it would provide an exemption for people who supported our armed forces - Speech Link
4: None Members, I have spoken to people who escaped Afghanistan—people who helped the police and UK armed forces - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Chris Heaton-Harris (Con - Daventry) Appointed Danny Kinahan as the first Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner in September 2020;Passed the Armed - Speech Link
Apr. 11 2024
Source Page: Appendix HM Armed Forces: caseworker guidanceFound: Appendix HM Armed Forces: caseworker guidance
Apr. 06 2024
Source Page: Right to Buy: a guide for local authoritiesFound: Any period spent in armed forces accommodation can also count towards the three- year qualifying period
Asked by: Baroness Bottomley of Nettlestone (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the varied needs of the families of those serving in the armed forces; what steps they have taken to increase support available to those families; and to what extent they have addressed the recommendations outlined in the report commissioned by the Ministry of Defence, Living in our shoes: understanding the needs of UK Armed Forces Families published in June 2020.
Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Defence recognises the important role that families play in supporting our Armed Forces, which is why in 2022 we published our UK Armed Forces Families Strategy 2022 – 2032. There is much crossover between the Living in Our Shoes report and the Families Strategy Action Plan, with two authors of the report holding Defence to account via our Families Strategy Steering Group and progress being reported biannually to Ministers and being placed on record in the annual Armed Forces Covenant and Veterans Report.
The needs of families are constantly evolving, which is why Defence undertakes an annual Tri-Service Families Continuous Attitude Survey (FAMCAS). FAMCAS captures the key issues impacting our families which we then work to relieve. This may be achieved through direct intervention, for example via the Defence-funded Wraparound Childcare scheme, or by collaborating closely with other stakeholders or Government Departments, such as with the Office for Students to ensure that Service children are recognised within its Equality of Opportunity Risk Register.
Apr. 01 2024
Source Page: Welcome to Scotland: A guide for Service personnel and their families in Scotland (updated 2024)Found: Forces Covenant.
Scrutiny evidence Mar. 27 2024
Committee: Secondary Legislation Scrutiny CommitteeFound: The MIR in Appendix Armed Forces is increased ‘ t o £ 2 3 , 4 9 6 , w hich is the 2 0 2 3 / 4 salar y
Mar. 27 2024
Source Page: Police Covenant annual report 2024Found: Police Covenant annual report 2024
Mar. 27 2024
Source Page: Police Covenant annual report 2024Found: Police Covenant annual report 2024
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the policy paper entitled Veterans’ Strategy Action Plan: 2022 to 2024, what metrics the Office for Veterans’ Affairs uses to assess the effectiveness of the (a) implementation and (b) impact of commitments that (i) it is responsible for and (ii) other Departments lead on; and what steps the Office for Veterans’ Affairs takes to help ensure that those metrics are met.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
The Office for Veterans' Affairs works with partners across and beyond government to monitor the effectiveness and impact of the commitments outlined in the Veterans' Strategy Action Plan.
Since the publication of the Action Plan in 2022, the Government has published four updates on progress; two six monthly reports in August 2022 and August 2023, and two updates within the Armed Forces Covenant and Veterans Annual Report laid before parliament in December 2022 and December 2023.
The most recent report highlighted notable achievements against the Action Plan and 2018 Strategy for our Veterans, outlining where commitments have been delivered and where more work is needed to deliver on our government’s ambition to make the UK the best place to be a veteran. The Office for Veterans' Affairs engages with its partners regularly to ensure the commitments in the action plan are delivered, with updates on progress provided to the Veterans Advisory Board and departments across government.