Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the number of (a) homeless veterans and (b) veterans experiencing mental health problems; and whether each of those issues is supported by the Armed Forces Covenant.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
For details of the latest estimate of the number of homeless veterans I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Local Government) (Mr Jones) to Question 50027, to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Wavertree (Luciana Berger) on 10 November 2016:
In the UK, primary responsibility for the provision of healthcare, including mental healthcare, for veterans rests with the NHS in England and the Devolved Administrations. The Ministry of Defence provides advice, information and signposting to support services for veterans though its Veterans UK web pages and free telephone helpline service and we encourage veterans wishing to seek help with mental health problems to visit: www.gov.uk/mental-health-support-for-the-uk-armed-forces or call the 24-hour veterans' mental health helpline on 0800 138 1619.
The £10 million per annum Covenant Fund makes grants to support the Armed Forces community and has funded projects across all four countries in the UK to support veterans with complex needs. This includes grants made through the Veterans in the Criminal Justice System programme; and the Veterans Gateway programme which will offer signposting to veterans for a range of issues including homelessness and mental health needs through a 24 hour helpline, website and app.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps are being taken to improve the mutual supply chain of goods and services between the Mount Pleasant Military Base and small and medium-sized enterprises and the Chamber of Commerce in the Falkland Islands.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The Secretary of State discussed these issues with the Chamber of Commerce and local businesses when he visited the Falkland Islands in February. British Forces South Atlantic Islands (BFSAI) will continue to work with the local commercial sector, including the Falkland Islands Chamber of Commerce, to develop opportunities for local supply of good and services including by small and medium-sized enterprises, within the legal and regulatory constraints that govern the Ministry of Defence's commercial activity. For example, we have recently put in place arrangements for the supply of locally generated renewable energy to BFSAI and to employ local companies for infrastructure work.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will estimate how much money his Department has spent in Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency since May 2010.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not hold this data. The MOD stopped making estimates of regional direct expenditure after 2007-08 as they do not directly support our policy making or military operations.