Asked by: Baroness Elliott of Whitburn Bay (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the implications for defence policy of the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Mike Penning
The Ministry of Defence is working closely with the Department for Exiting the European Union to ensure that the full range of opportunities are taken, and risks mitigated as a result of leaving the EU. The UK retains a global outlook with the full range of military capabilities and the political will to protect our interests globally. We remain committed to meeting the NATO Defence Investment Pledge to spend 2% of GDP on Defence for the rest of this decade to maintain our world leading Armed Forces.
Asked by: Baroness Elliott of Whitburn Bay (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effect of changes in the value of sterling on his Department's procurement costs.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 October 2016 to Question 48369 to the hon. Member for Dunfermline and West Fife (Mr Chapman).
Asked by: Baroness Elliott of Whitburn Bay (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to help veterans into employment.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 2 November 2016 to Question 50679 to the hon. Member for the City of Chester (Mr Matheson).
Asked by: Baroness Elliott of Whitburn Bay (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to promote the welfare of members of the armed forces.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The Armed Forces Covenant ensures that those who serve and have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, are treated fairly. In June 2013 the Chancellor announced that the financial commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant would be made permanent through a £10 million fund per annum in perpetuity from 2015-16.
The Annual Report on the Armed Forces Covenant from December 2015 detailed a number of achievements of which this Government can be proud, including allocating £40 million for accommodation projects for veterans; the £200 million Forces Help to Buy Scheme; and a world class centre for excellence for the training and delivery of Defence Medical Services.
In 2016 to date under the large grants scheme we have awarded a total of almost £7.5 million to 24 projects supporting community integration, criminal justice system initiatives and the co-ordination and delivery of support. Under the small grants scheme we have awarded a total of almost £2.4 million to 150 community integration projects. Depending on the quality of the bids, we hope to be able to announce the preferred bidder for the Veterans Gateway Service in November, as well as further tranches of Covenant Grant funding.
In January 2016, the Department published the first ever Armed Forces Families Strategy, embracing seven key themes - partner employment, accommodation, children's education and childcare, community support, specialist support, health and wellbeing, and transition. This is now routine business supporting our families.
We have reviewed our casualty and compassionate processes, and this autumn we are introducing a new reserves welfare health-check. In the last year Defence has enabled payroll deductions for Service personnel to take advantage of the savings and cheap loan facilities from selected credit unions. This facility was extended to veterans in receipt of a pension in March 2016.