Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much his Department spent on accommodation for veterans in (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, (c) 2021-22 and (d) 2022-23.
Answered by Johnny Mercer
This Government is committed to supporting all veterans with securing appropriate accommodation.
In 2023, we launched Op FORTITUDE, the dedicated referral scheme for veterans facing homelessness and rough sleeping, which is part of a broader £8.55 million of funding for specialist help and wrap-around support for veterans in more than 900 supported housing units.
This is in addition to establishing the Veteran Capital Housing Fund, which is dedicating £20 million over three years to fund the refurbishment of existing affordable and social rental properties and the development and delivery of new build projects.
Through these programmes, the Government is not only supporting the sustainable supply of veteran housing, but also ensuring that no veteran is forced to sleep rough due to a lack of provision.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2024 to Question 15551 on Civil Servants: Veterans, how many minority ethnic veterans were employed through the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative in the last 12 months.
Answered by Johnny Mercer
This Government is committed to making sure that all veterans have equal opportunities and can access valuable, sustainable careers, including in the Civil Service, after they leave the Armed Forces.
There are a range of Civil Service recruitment initiatives for veterans, offering a fulfilling career in public service which makes the most of the skills and capability they have to offer. Over 1,000 veterans to date have secured a job in the Civil Service through the ‘Great Place to Work for Veterans’ initiative and a further 200 veterans have been recruited through the 'Going Forward Into Employment' initiative.
Whilst a breakdown of demographics of veterans who apply to Civil Service roles is not currently available, the Office for Veterans’ Affairs is committed to enhancing the collection, use and analysis of data across the public, private and charitable sectors to build our evidence base to effectively identify and address the needs of veterans
Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 1 March 2024 to Question 15550 on Civil Servants: Veterans, whether his office captures regional data on veterans who access employment through the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.
Answered by Johnny Mercer
This Government is committed to making sure that all veterans have equal opportunities and can access valuable, sustainable careers, including in the Civil Service, after they leave the Armed Forces.
There are a range of Civil Service recruitment initiatives for veterans, offering a fulfilling career in public service which makes the most of the skills and capability they have to offer. Over 1,000 veterans to date have secured a job in the Civil Service through the ‘Great Place to Work for Veterans’ initiative and a further 200 veterans have been recruited through the 'Going Forward Into Employment' initiative.
Whilst a breakdown of demographics of veterans who apply to Civil Service roles is not currently available, the Office for Veterans’ Affairs is committed to enhancing the collection, use and analysis of data across the public, private and charitable sectors to build our evidence base to effectively identify and address the needs of veterans
Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 1 March 2024 to Question 15551 on Civil Servants: Veterans, whether his office captures demographic data on veterans who access employment through the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.
Answered by Johnny Mercer
This Government is committed to making sure that all veterans have equal opportunities and can access valuable, sustainable careers, including in the Civil Service, after they leave the Armed Forces.
There are a range of Civil Service recruitment initiatives for veterans, offering a fulfilling career in public service which makes the most of the skills and capability they have to offer. Over 1,000 veterans to date have secured a job in the Civil Service through the ‘Great Place to Work for Veterans’ initiative and a further 200 veterans have been recruited through the 'Going Forward Into Employment' initiative.
Whilst a breakdown of demographics of veterans who apply to Civil Service roles is not currently available, the Office for Veterans’ Affairs is committed to enhancing the collection, use and analysis of data across the public, private and charitable sectors to build our evidence base to effectively identify and address the needs of veterans
Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what improvements he plans to make to the Veterans’ Gateway.
Answered by Johnny Mercer
This Government has conducted extensive research with veterans and charities to improve the offer to the veteran community.
As a result of this feedback, we will improve access to guides and information by working with the Ministry of Defence and stakeholders to dramatically improve the information on GOV.UK. This will make content more accessible and easier to understand.
We also plan to improve referrals and signposting so veterans can make a more informed decision about where to go to seek help. This will take account of the offers available from both statutory and charitable providers.
A joint assessment with the Ministry of Defence is also underway to consider offline support, ensuring veterans receive the right help as effectively as possible.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2024 to Question 13226 on Veterans: Employment Scheme, how many and what proportion of ethnic minority veterans have used the Career Development Fund in the last 12 months.
Answered by Johnny Mercer
Veterans’ employment is at an all-time high, with 89% of those leaving service finding employment within six months.
This Government's £700,000 Veterans’ Career Development Fund aims to build on that, increasing the provision and enhancing access to qualifications, training and skills development for veterans and their families across the UK.
The grant seeks to support veterans of all backgrounds, and encourages applications in particular from groups and organisations which seek to engage with and support minority groups and individuals within the overall veteran population, including those of ethnic minority backgrounds.
The fund closed for applications from organisations in January this year, with successful applicants due to be notified later this month. Activity and delivery of the projects will then commence after that point
Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Going Forward into Employment initiative for veterans.
Answered by Johnny Mercer
Regular updates on a range of veteran specific initiatives, including Going Forward into Employment, are published as part of the Veterans’ Strategy Action Plan 6 monthly report and in the Armed Forces Covenant and Veterans Annual Report.
The latest updates report that over 200 veterans have been employed in the Civil Service through Going Forward into Employment, and over 1,000 Civil Service jobs secured through the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.
This is matched by the all-time high of veterans’ employment in the UK, with 89% employed within six months of leaving service when engaging with available support.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 31 January 2024 to Question 12241 on Veterans, when he plans to implement the recommendations of the Independent Review of UK Government Welfare Services for Veterans, published on 17 July 2023.
Answered by Johnny Mercer
The Government remains committed to ensuring that our welfare services for veterans are fit for purpose. This is why the response to the Welfare Services Review was published on 11 December 2023, and included commitments on taking forward the intentions of the recommendations.
Work is already underway in both the Office for Veterans’ Affairs and Ministry of Defence, and with stakeholders to implement changes. These include the retirement of the Veterans UK brand and improvements to the Veterans’ Gateway.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of veterans from minority ethnic backgrounds were employed via the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative in the last 12 months.
Answered by Johnny Mercer
There are a range of Civil Service recruitment initiatives for veterans, offering a fulfilling career in public service which makes the most of the skills and capability they have to offer.
Over 1,000 veterans to date have secured a job in the Civil Service through the ‘Great Place to Work for Veterans’ initiative and a further 200 veterans have been recruited through the 'Going Forward Into Employment' initiative.
The Civil Service has career opportunities for veterans from all walks of life, backgrounds, identities and geographic locations throughout the UK.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of veterans were employed via the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative in the West Midlands in the last 12 months.
Answered by Johnny Mercer
There are a range of Civil Service recruitment initiatives for veterans, offering a fulfilling career in public service which makes the most of the skills and capability they have to offer.
Over 1,000 veterans to date have secured a job in the Civil Service through the ‘Great Place to Work for Veterans’ initiative and a further 200 veterans have been recruited through the 'Going Forward Into Employment' initiative.
The Civil Service has career opportunities for veterans from all walks of life, backgrounds, identities and geographic locations throughout the UK.