Asked by: Martin Rhodes (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure greater parliamentary scrutiny of the financial position of the Atomic Weapons Establishment.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
AWE’s financial position is subject to regular parliamentary scrutiny through both the Ministry of Defence and AWE Annual Report and Accounts. These reports are laid in Parliament annually and independently audited by the National Audit Office (NAO), enabling Parliament to scrutinise AWE’s financial performance, risks, liabilities, and stewardship of public funds.
Subject to the approval of the House of Commons, the Government will also establish a new Commons-only Committee to scrutinise Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNE) expenditure and programmes. The Committee will have a tightly focused remit and will consider relevant NAO reports on DNE expenditure and programmes.
Asked by: Martin Rhodes (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on implementing the recommendations of the LGBT Veterans Independent Review.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
I am disgusted by the mistreatment of our brave LGBT veterans who served between 1967 and 2000.
I am pleased that the Government has delivered 48 of the 49 recommendations made by the Lord Etherton’s Independent Review.
One of those was the unveiling of the LGBT+ Armed Forces Community Memorial. I was honoured to attend the dedication in October, alongside His Majesty the King and LGBT Veterans and Service personnel.
The one outstanding recommendation recognises the unique experiences of female veterans. Work is ongoing on a number of initiatives towards this, including launch of a new Women Veterans Forum.
Asked by: Martin Rhodes (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of veterans eligible for the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme.
Answered by Al Carns
We are unable to estimate how many people were affected by the historic policy on LGBT Service personnel and who are therefore eligible for the Financial Recognition Scheme (FRS). This is due to the varying ways in which personnel were impacted, with some being dismissed or discharged, and others choosing to leave due to the culture whilst others continued to serve.
Defence’s LGBT Restorative Action team have mounted communications campaigns to drive awareness of, and encourage, eligible LGBT Veterans to claim under the FRS since the Scheme was announced. We continue to work with local councils, the NHS, LGBT and military charities, and Veterans network to better inform affected Veterans of the FRS and how to apply. Defence has also allocated £90,000 worth of grants to charities, including Fighting With Pride, to support Veterans with their FRS applications.
As of 9 June 2025, the FRS had distributed ÂŁ2.2 million in payments, prioritising elderly applicants and those with serious health conditions to ensure timely support for those most in need. The first payments were issued within 15 weeks of the scheme going live, and while some complex cases require additional time, the Ministry of Defence is committed to ensuring all eligible individuals receive the support they are entitled to.
The Government encourages those affected by the Ban to visit gov.uk for further information, guidance, and support on how to make an application: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/veterans-of-the-lgbt-ban-financial-recognition-scheme