Veterans Strategy

Louise Sandher-Jones Excerpts

Tuesday 11th November 2025 Written Statements

[The Minister for Veterans and People (Louise Sandher-Jones)]

The Minister of State in the House of Lords, my noble Friend Lord Coaker, made the following statement on 10 November 2025:

Today, this Government are pleased to take another step towards renewing the nation’s contract with those who serve and have served in the armed forces, demonstrating that this Government are on their side. The country’s near 2 million veterans are a national asset, and our new veterans strategy proudly sets the narrative about them, their service and the role they can play in our national prosperity.

Veterans not only remind us of the challenges we have overcome; they also play a vital role in strengthening the fabric of our communities. Their contributions enhance the resilience and effectiveness of our defence, support critical industries and bolster the wider economy. Many veterans have benefited from a military career that provided them with unique skills, experience, confidence and opportunities that they took forward into civilian life. For many, a career in the armed forces continues to be a powerful driver of social mobility.

The new veterans strategy sets the long-term outcomes that the Government want veterans to achieve, grounded in three core themes that challenge the whole of society to think differently about those who have served in the armed forces and their ongoing potential.

Celebrate

We want society to respect those who serve and have served, ensuring that the benefits of military service for individuals are recognised, and that their role in defending our freedoms and society is celebrated.

Contribute

We want to ensure that the unique skills, experience and personal values of veterans are appreciated and understood, including how they contribute to our national security, our economy and our communities.

Support

For the overwhelming majority, veterans’ lives are better for having served. However, some veterans continue to need access to timely, appropriate and effective support that meets their needs following service. To meet this need, we have also launched VALOUR, which will transform the way we provide support to veterans who need it.

Together, these themes represent a powerful new approach to recognising veterans as one of the UK’s great assets, aligned in its approach with the strategic defence review and the plan for change, and underpinned by this Government’s commitment to bring the armed forces covenant fully into law.

Like the armed forces covenant, this strategy applies equally across the UK. While its vision, themes and outcomes are a shared endeavour, effective implementation will vary according to local needs and context. This strategy recognises the rich and varied contributions of those who have long supported the armed forces community.

We will work closely with partners in the public, private and third sector to drive progress against the outcomes, establish a new governance framework, and continue investment in data and insights on veterans and their experiences.

As a key element of the veterans strategy, this Government are also taking the next steps in delivering VALOUR, with applications now open for organisations to bid for funding for VALOUR-recognised centres, backed by £27 million of funding.

This is alongside an extension of the nuclear test medal eligibility criteria. This Remembrance, we are making the medal available to even more veterans. Personnel who served on operations to monitor French atmospheric nuclear tests until 1974, and Chinese tests until 1980, will now be eligible. These personnel carried out air sampling missions from airfields in Peru, the USA, the Aleutian islands, and the Midway islands near Hawaii, and conducted monitoring operations at sea.

This Government are committed to renewing the nation’s contract with those who serve. The veterans strategy will be a critical step in dedication to honouring and supporting our veterans.

[HCWS1039]