Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Supporting Veterans

Monday 30 June 2025 · 3 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

  • Ministerial support for veterans includes the armed forces covenant trust fund to aid over 1700 UK charities.
  • Female veterans faced unsuitable housing, highlighting the need for tailored support.
  • Government initiatives like the career transition partnership aim to help veterans find employment.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 David Taylor Lab Hemel Hempstead
Veterans
Context

The question follows a recognition by the Minister of World War Two veteran Roy Briggs. David Taylor acknowledges the Minister's kind words about Mr Briggs and mentions attending his funeral.

Question

I thank the Minister for his answer and for his kind words about Roy Briggs. His family and I are also grateful for letter that he wrote to them. I had the privilege of attending his funeral last week. He was a real servant to our country, having flown in many brave missions over Europe. He was part of one of the RAF’s first ever humanitarian missions when dropping essential food over the Netherlands and he also flew many missions in RAF bombers. I know that the Government are doing various things to try to support veterans. Could the Minister outline the further steps that the Government can take to support organisations that support veterans such as the Royal British Legion as well as smaller organisations such as the Hemel armed forces and veterans breakfast club?

Answer from The Minister for Veterans and People (Al Carns)

The armed forces covenant trust fund is one of the mechanisms we use to support the charitable sector, but we must also step back and look holistically at the fact that there are 1,730 armed forces charities in the UK. Op Valour will help to synthesise that, get more bang for buck and ensure that veterans get the right support where and when they need it.

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Q2 Emma Foody Labour (Co-op) Cramlington and Killingworth
Women & Equalities Veterans
Context

A local charity supporting women veterans in Emma Foody's constituency was working with a woman who experienced further sexual assault after being housed in unsuitable accommodation. The issue highlights the need for better support systems for female veterans.

Question

A local charity in my area supporting women veterans was recently working with a woman who was rehomed in general purpose supported accommodation for veterans in Scotland. The accommodation was entirely unsuitable for her as a survivor of sexual violence and led to her being subjected to a further sexual assault by a man who was also housed there. Will the Minister assure me of his work to ensure appropriate support for women veterans?

Answer from The Minister for Veterans and People (Al Carns)

Just last week, I visited several different organisations, one of which was Launchpad in Liverpool, which showed some examples of supported housing for veterans. It is not lost on me that female veterans have different requirements, and we need to do more to support them. We will ensure that that is catered for by having a women’s section as part of our veterans’ strategy.

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Q3 Alex Brewer Lib Dem North East Hampshire
Veterans
Context

Female veterans are about 10% less likely to be employed after service than male veterans. The question addresses the imbalance and seeks specific steps taken by the government.

Question

I welcome the Government’s investment in supporting veterans, but as my hon. Friend the Member for Glastonbury and Somerton (Sarah Dyke) mentioned recently in the House, female veterans are about 10% less likely to be employed after service than male veterans. What specific steps are the Government taking to address that imbalance?

Answer from The Minister for Veterans and People (Al Carns)

I thank the hon. Member for that really important question. There are two pieces that I would highlight. The first is the armed forces career transition partnership, which helps individuals during the two years prior to their leaving the service, and for two years after, to find jobs. The second is Operation Ascend, which looks to partner career opportunities and businesses—of which we have engaged with over 400—with any veteran or individual leaving the armed forces, which has engaged with 3,000 individuals. Part of our veterans strategy will include that from a women’s perspective. We are doing everything we can, and over 86% of veterans who seek help go straight into employment within the first six months.

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