Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Office for Veterans’ Affairs

Thursday 17 December 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 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Office for Veterans' Affairs has fundamentally changed the country's offer to veterans by bringing together all government functions to better understand the veterans' experience.
  • Veterans who left the armed forces since January 8, 2020, will receive their veterans ID cards.
  • The government is making significant investments to resolve issues with verifying service for veterans who left before December 2018.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Duncan Baker
Veterans
Context

No specific background provided, but the question prompts an assessment of recent changes and improvements made by the Office.

Question

What recent assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the Office for Veterans' Affairs?

Answer from Johnny Mercer

The Office for Veterans' Affairs has fundamentally changed this country's offer to our veterans, pulling together all functions of Government to really understand the veterans' experience in this country. I would like to pay tribute to all my colleagues who have supported us in that endeavour this year.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide a recent assessment or evaluation of the effectiveness, only praise for efforts.

How: Pay Tribute

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q2 Duncan Baker
Veterans
Context

Service leavers since January 8th received their veterans ID cards, but concerns remain about those who left before December 2018 and their eligibility for the card by year-end.

Question

I thank my hon. Friend for what he is doing for veterans. Service leavers since 8 January this year will have been given their veterans ID cards to mark their time in the armed forces, but will veterans who left before December 2018 still be able to apply for their card by the end of 2020? Will he update the House about those veterans who are looking forward to getting their card?

Answer from Johnny Mercer

I thank my hon. Friend for his question. The veterans ID card is an important policy that this Government have brought forward. Those who leave now will get an ID card. We have struggled with verification of those who have served due to paper records issues, but significant investments are being made in organisations like Veterans UK to prevent fraud and ensure every veteran receives their ID card.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not confirm eligibility for veterans before December 2018 or provide a deadline for applications by year-end.

How: Struggled With Verification, Significant Investments

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email