Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many British military personnel have been assigned to support the training of the Ukrainian armed forces.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
There are currently 1,000 British military personnel assigned to training the Armed Forces of Ukraine under Op INTERFLEX at sites in the UK. Other training is provided on an ad hoc basis with personnel committed accordingly.
British military personnel are performing various roles to support the training, including direct instruction, but also providing logistics, medical support, communications, as well as command and control.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of support available to veterans subject to ongoing historic investigations.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to supporting its people who act reasonably and in good faith in the course of their duties or work-related activities. All members of the Armed Forces, including the Reserve Forces, are entitled to legal support (regardless of the type of legal proceeding) at public expense where they face allegations that relate to actions taken during their employment or service, and where they were performing their duties. This is the case irrespective of the individual's length of service, the duration of any proceedings, and the length of time that has passed since the incident in question. The entitlement to legal support also applies to former service personnel, provided that the incident in question occurred while they were serving in the Armed Forces or employed by the MOD.
The MOD has also developed a comprehensive package of welfare support for veterans, including the establishment of the Army Operational Legacy Branch (AOLB) in 2020. The full range of legal and pastoral support available to veterans is set out in the Written Ministerial Statement made by the Secretary of State for Defence on 13 April 2021.
The MOD also works closely with the Office for Veterans' Affairs to ensure individuals can be signposted to the right additional support should they need it.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current provisions for injured (1) veterans, and (2) armed service personnel.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
The Defence Medical Services provides healthcare to serving Armed Forces personnel, to ensure that they are medically fit, mentally and physically, to undertake their duties. To overcome injuries, comprehensive rehabilitation services are provided to Service personnel, through a network of Primary Care Rehabilitation Facilities, Regional Rehabilitation Units and the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre. This includes rehabilitation for complex musculoskeletal injuries and neurological injury.
NHS England and NHS Improvement have several services in place to meet the needs of veterans and their families. The Veteran Friendly GP Practice accreditation scheme supports practices to deliver the best possible care and treatment for patients who have served in the Armed Forces. It helps GP practices to identify and support their veteran patients with signposting to specialist support services. Over 1,200 GP practices are now accredited through the programme.
A package of veterans' mental health support, called Op COURAGE, provides a complete mental health care pathway for veterans. Individuals benefit from personalised care plans, ensuring they can always access the support and treatment they need. This includes supporting veterans with complex mental health issues, who need more intensive support and therapies.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Northern Ireland Executive about the Armed Forces Bill.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
I refer the Noble Lord to the answer I gave on 2 August 2021 to Question HL2267 to the Noble Lord, Lord Empey OBE.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the roll-out of Armed Forces Covenant's mental health provision service across the UK; and what plans they have, if any, to make changes to that provision.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
The Armed Forces Covenant is a statement of the moral obligation which exists between the nation, the Government, and the Armed Forces. The Covenant is not an entity which provides any direct service. It is possible that the Noble Lord is referring to Op COURAGE, the current NHS England mental health initiative targeted at veterans. If so, I regret that the Ministry of Defence cannot comment on mental health provision across the UK, as this is not a Defence matter. Health is a devolved responsibility and, since 1948, it has been the policy of successive Governments that the NHS should be the main provider of healthcare, including mental healthcare, for veterans.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many British armed forces personnel were recruited between 1 January 2020 and 1 March 2021.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
The requested information up until 31 December 2020 can be found in the attached ‘UK Regular Forces Intake and Outflow’ tables 4 and 5a in the excel spreadsheet of the quarterly Service personnel statistics.
Information for the most recent quarter, 1 January 2021 – 31 March 2021, will be published on 27 May 2021.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that armed forces personnel receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
Defence is working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care and other Government Departments to ensure that Armed Forces personnel receive a COVID-19 vaccine at the earliest practical opportunity, in line with the recommendations of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). Those in healthcare roles and individuals most at risk from complications of COVID-19 are being offered the vaccine first.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Goldie on 8 October (HL8508), of the £6 million funding “which has gone to 100 different Armed Forces charities across the country”, how much funding has been directly allocated to (1) charities, and (2) organisations, in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
The Government has been proactive in providing support to the charity sector in response to the COVID-19 pandemic across the United Kingdom. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the Office for Veterans' Affairs (OVA) in the Cabinet Office have played a leading role in this effort by providing £6 million in funding for the Armed Forces community, through the COVID Impact Fund. Through this funding the MOD and OVA have distributed £112,372 to charities across Northern Ireland to support efforts in these challenging times. A further 39 grants, totalling nearly £3 million, were awarded to organisations who provide support across the whole of the United Kingdom including Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much additional funding they have made available to support (1) the Armed Forces, and (2) veterans, since June.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
In July 2020, the Chancellor agreed to supplement the Defence Budget by nearly £200 million of additional funding for Service Family Accommodation and improvements to military estates across the UK. This additional investment will improve life for Armed Forces and over 5,000 personnel and their families will have homes modernised with new kitchens, bathrooms and furnishings including reroofing to reduce the risk of mould and damp.
We are aware that COVID-19 has placed extra challenges on our veteran community, particularly in terms of mental health. As such, £6 million of funding has been secured from the Treasury, which has gone to 100 different Armed Forces charities across the country. Alongside this, HMG have also commissioned a new study by King's College London, into the specific impact of COVID-19 on the veteran community. This study will provide evidence about the impact of the pandemic on the veterans' community and highlight any specific needs or impacts that might need to be addressed.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to assess the merits of sharing details of service personnel leaving the armed forces with veterans' charities.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
Every year around 15,000 Service personnel leave the Armed Forces, with the vast majority making a successful transition back into civilian life without any requirement for additional support, including from Service charities. The Government has no plans to share details of these leavers with the charity sector, given the lack of clear purpose and legal basis for doing so, and recognising the administrative burden it would place on both the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and charities.
However, for those Service leavers and veterans who do require support, the MOD’s Veterans’ Welfare Service and Defence Transition Services have a strong collaborative relationship with charities. We regularly work together to share information, when it is appropriate to do so and consent has been given, on behalf of those veterans who do require support.
We are committed to ensuring that it is as easy as possible for veterans and their families to access the right support. We are continually exploring ways to enhance and improve collaboration with the third sector and other partners in the interests of veterans.