Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Veterans: Support

Monday 2 November 2020 · 4 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 3 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministry of Defence and Office for Veterans' Affairs are collaborating to enhance veterans' access to social housing, employment, and healthcare.
  • Government is encouraging more employers to hire veterans, emphasizing that employment is the single biggest factor in improving veterans' life chances.
  • Government will extend protections from the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill to include veterans of Operation Banner.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Selaine Saxby
Veterans
Context

The MP is concerned about the support available to veterans.

Question

What steps his Department is taking to support veterans?

Answer from Johnny Mercer

The Ministry of Defence and the Office for Veterans' Affairs are working together with colleagues across Government to improve access to social housing, employment and healthcare, as well as digitising the Veterans UK services. Defence Transition Services is delivering tailored support to service leavers and their families. The Government have delivered a veterans' railcard and have announced a guaranteed interview scheme in the civil service and a national insurance holiday for veterans' employers.

Answered
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Q2 Gareth Davies Con Grantham and Bourne
Employment Veterans
Context

The MP highlights a local business, RecruitME in Grantham, which supports veterans in finding employment.

Question

RecruitME in Grantham is a specialist recruitment business run by veterans for veterans. Will the Minister join me in congratulating it on its recent award for services to veterans, and will he outline what the Government are doing to encourage more employers to hire a hero?

Answer from Johnny Mercer

I pay tribute to my hon. Friend and the company he mentions. I am clear, and this Government are clear, that the single biggest factor in improving the life chances of any veteran in this country, and their family, is having a job. The Government are fundamentally changing what it means to be a veteran by offering a national insurance contribution holiday, guaranteed interviews and things like that. Working with partners in the private sector, we will make this the best country in the world to be a veteran.

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Q3 Chris Clarkson
Northern Ireland Veterans
Context

The MP references the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill, which includes protections for those who served outside the UK. The MP asks about similar protections for veterans of Operation Banner.

Question

I thank the Minister for his answer. The protections in the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill have been warmly welcomed in constituencies such as mine, but obviously we also have veterans of Operation Banner, so will the Minister reiterate the Department's intention to bring forward the same protections for people who served in Northern Ireland?

Answer from Johnny Mercer

I am happy to reiterate again the Government's position that those who served on Op Banner will be entitled to equal treatment from the protections that we are bringing forward on Third Reading of the overseas operations Bill tomorrow. I am clear that this is the first Government who are actually dealing with this very knotty and difficult issue. Northern Ireland veterans can be confident that we will not forget them—we will not leave them behind.

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Q4 Selaine Saxby
Veterans
Context

The MP highlights a local charity event in North Devon, which raised funds for the Veterans Charity.

Question

Will my hon. Friend join me in congratulating the Veterans Charity, which ran a Halloween-themed charity car wash in my North Devon constituency and raised almost £500 this weekend? Will he also join me in recognising the vital co-operation between Government and the charity sector, with the Veterans Charity having helped 650 veterans this year alone?

Answer from Johnny Mercer

I pay tribute to all the groups up and down this country who work tirelessly every day to improve the lot of our veterans, particularly the ones in my hon. Friends' constituencies. There is a shift in the provision of veterans' services in this country towards more of a balance between the third sector and statutory provision, but we will always require a blend of the two, and I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for her lobbying for this cause.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide specific measures or commitments on how Government and charities will cooperate in the future.

How: Working With Partners

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