Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Veteran ID Cards

Thursday 29 February 2024 · 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 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Over 70,000 applications have been received for veteran ID cards.
  • A national promotional campaign is ongoing to raise awareness of the cards.
  • The Office for Veterans' Affairs is working to ensure veterans' care standards are consistent across the UK.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Virginia Crosbie
Veterans
Context

The question addresses the progress made in distributing veteran ID cards, which are intended to provide benefits and recognition for veterans. The MP notes that many veterans have applied for these cards but seeks details on how awareness is being raised.

Question

What recent progress has been made on the roll-out of veteran ID cards? To date, we have received over 70,000 applications. Can my right hon. Friend confirm how veterans such as Mark Davis are being told about that card and how to get one?

Answer from Johnny Mercer

We have launched a national promotional campaign to raise awareness of the card's availability, and over the next few months, we will continue to work with the charity sector to ensure as many people as possible know about the card and its benefits. Veterans should apply for their veteran ID cards which open up a whole gamut of services.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific details on how veterans in Northern Ireland are informed about the cards, despite being asked specifically about it.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

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

Q2 Virginia Crosbie
Veterans
Context

The MP seeks clarity on how veterans in her constituency are informed about the availability of veteran ID cards, with a specific example of Mark Davis who served extensively. She is concerned that not all eligible veterans might be aware of this benefit.

Question

Veterans in my constituency such as Mark Davis are now eligible for a veteran card. Can my right hon. Friend confirm how veterans like Mark Davis are being told about the card and how to get one?

Answer from Johnny Mercer

A significant program of work is going on at the moment to make sure everyone is aware of the card. We encourage everybody who has served and is a veteran to apply for their card, which opens up a whole gamut of services available for veterans.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific details about how awareness is raised in her constituency or Northern Ireland despite being asked specifically about it.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

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

Q3 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Northern Ireland Veterans
Context

The MP questions the distribution of veteran ID cards in Northern Ireland, noting a high representation of service personnel there. He seeks specific statistics on applications from this region.

Question

Does the Minister hold any statistics on how many service personnel from Northern Ireland have applied for veteran ID cards?

Answer from Johnny Mercer

I do not have those figures to hand, but we are looking at all options for how the Office for Veterans' Affairs can really lean in and make sure that the standard seen in England for veterans' care is replicated across the UK. Northern Ireland traditionally has a higher representation of service personnel.

Not addressed: Did not provide statistics or data on applications from Northern Ireland as requested, instead discussing overall strategies.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

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

Q4 Steve McCabe Lab
Veterans
Context

The MP congratulates the roll-out of veteran ID cards but expresses surprise that these cards cannot be used as identification for UK elections. He asks when this issue will be addressed.

Question

Is it not quite surprising that the veteran ID card cannot be used for the purpose of ID in a UK election? When does the Minister hope to put that right?

Answer from Johnny Mercer

The ID card is part of a multi-phase operation to digitise 13 million veterans' records. Getting the ID card out was the first phase, but our ambition is to ensure that the card is used for all sorts of purposes including as identification in UK elections.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide a specific timeline or plan for when veteran ID cards can be used for election ID purposes.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

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