Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Veterans’ Welfare

Monday 13 March 2023 · 5 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 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Minister jointly commissioned a review with the Minister for Veterans' Affairs to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of welfare services for veterans.
  • The Minister praised the initiative of armed forces and veterans breakfast clubs and expressed personal interest in visiting one.
  • The Minister will meet to discuss cases of veterans facing financial barriers to retraining, noting the Department for Education's primary responsibility.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 David Simmonds Con Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner
Veterans
Context

The Minister of State for Defence Procurement was questioned on the assessment made by his Department regarding progress in improving veterans' welfare.

Question

What assessment has his Department made of progress on improving veterans' welfare?

Answer from Andrew Murrison

On 2 March, I jointly commissioned with the Minister for Veterans' Affairs a review into the role and scope of Government welfare provision and services for veterans. The review will focus on examining the effectiveness and efficiency of welfare services for veterans, and help it to do better as part of a programme of continual improvement.

Answered
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Q2 Robbie Moore Con Keighley and Ilkley
Veterans
Context

The MP asked for recognition of armed forces breakfast clubs providing support to veterans and serving personnel, with a proposal for additional Government support.

Question

Will the Minister join me in praising those who are involved in organising armed forces breakfast clubs and set out what additional support the Government can provide for these fantastic veteran-led organisations?

Answer from Andrew Murrison

Armed forces and veterans breakfast clubs are an excellent initiative with 150,000 members across 14 countries. They provide a sense of belonging and community to many who have served our country. The Minister expressed his personal interest in visiting the hon. Member's breakfast club.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Additional support provided by the Government was not specified.

How: Praising The Initiative Without Concrete Actions

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Q3 David Simmonds Con Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner
Education Veterans
Context

A constituent served in armed forces for over two decades but faced significant financial barriers to retraining due to being treated as a foreign student.

Question

Will my right hon. Friend meet me to discuss the case of Mr Graham and other people who may seek to retrain following long service in our armed forces, but find themselves facing significant financial barriers to do so?

Answer from Andrew Murrison

At present, an adult must be ordinarily resident in England on the first day of the first academic year of their course and throughout the three years immediately preceding that date to be eligible for funding. The matter is primarily one for the Department for Education, but the Minister will meet with his hon. Friend to discuss it.

Answered
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Q4 Owen Thompson SNP
Veterans
Context

The MP asked for attention to be paid to different veteran experiences across the UK's four nations.

Question

What efforts will be made through the recently announced review of veterans' experiences? What attention will be paid to the different experiences of veterans in the four nations?

Answer from Andrew Murrison

The Minister looks forward to discussing with the hon. Member later this week, noting that the review is aimed at understanding better how to support veterans effectively in each nation.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific efforts and timelines were not detailed.

How: Discussed Later Without Specifics

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Q5 Rachel Hopkins Lab Luton South and South Bedfordshire
NHS Veterans
Context

The MP criticized the Government's handling of veteran services over the past decade, questioning timelines for a new review.

Question

When can we expect the review to be completed and its findings published? Action is needed now to fix failures such as longer waiting times for mental health support and lack of ID cards.

Answer from Andrew Murrison

The Minister anticipates the review being completed within three months. Vets UK received 1,715 thank you letters versus 122 complaints since April last year, indicating a high level of satisfaction among veterans with their service.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific actions to address failures were not outlined.

How: Emphasizing The Positive Aspects Without Addressing Issues

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