House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Covid-19 Support: Armed Forces 2020-05-12 (2)

Tuesday 12 May 2020 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

The armed forces have been assessed as key in logistics, command and control, and testing during the covid-19 outbreak.
Services for veterans moved online due to the crisis, with no significant decline reported by veterans or charities.
Military assistance can be called upon through MACA by regional commands as needed.

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Questions & Answers

Q1 Royston Smith Con Aldershot

NHS Defence

Context

The question discusses the role of armed forces during the pandemic and future plans for their involvement.

Question

What assessment has been made of the contribution of the armed forces in tackling the covid-19 outbreak, and what are the plans for service personnel as we enter phase two?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace

Reflecting on the armed forces' role, their strengths in logistics, command and control, testing have been key. Power has been devolved down to regional commands enabling them to call upon military assistance as needed through MACA.

Answered

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Q2 Sharon Hodgson Lab Washington and Sunderland West

Veterans

Context

The question addresses the closure of the Veterans UK helpline amid the pandemic, questioning its impact on veterans seeking support.

Question

Why was the decision made to close the Veterans UK helpline during this crisis when many veterans need help and support?