Female Veterans 2024-04-25
2024-04-25
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP is concerned about the lack of specific support for female veterans, who are often a hidden community with unique challenges.
What steps he is taking to improve support for female veterans. I am one of the estimated 250,000 female veterans, and I have spent the last four years raising awareness of this hidden community. I have been chair of the advisory board; the evidence gathering has ended and the recommendations have been made.
The Office for Veterans' Affairs has provided £445,000 for research into the lived experiences of women veterans and for development of further support. The Government's first women's strategy is being developed to better address their needs. The term 'female military sexual trauma' will be acknowledged. The strategy will be published before the summer recess.
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Assessment & feedback
The specific inclusion of 'female military sexual trauma' in the strategy was not explicitly confirmed, only that it would be acknowledged.
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP has been chair of the advisory board for female veterans' strategy, which completed evidence gathering.
Will the Minister let me know whether the term, “female military sexual trauma” will be acknowledged and included in the women's strategy, and the date on which the strategy will be published?
I recognise the unique challenges around sexual trauma in the military. The term will be acknowledged. The strategy will be published before the summer recess.
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Assessment & feedback
The specific inclusion of 'female military sexual trauma' was not confirmed, only that it would be acknowledged.
Response accuracy
Q3
Direct Answer
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Context
The MP has met with many female veterans in his constituency and worked with organisations like Woody's Lodge to ensure they receive proper support.
What is the Minister doing to work with the Welsh Government and local authorities across the whole of the UK to ensure that women veterans get the support that is rightly being asked for?
We meet the devolved authorities regularly. We have great relationships internationally now in terms of setting the pace on that, and I want to make sure it is concomitant with what we are doing with the devolved authorities: we have regular meetings with the Welsh Government and the Scottish, and indeed we are going over to Northern Ireland again in two weeks.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy