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Written Question
Blood: Contamination
Thursday 7th March 2024

Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if his Department will (a) identify and (b) contact people in Luton South who were (i) infected and (ii) affected by the contaminated blood scandal as part of Government preparations for responding to Infected Blood Inquiry recommendations on compensation.

Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Statistical Expert Group, established by the Infected Blood Inquiry, has provided valuable insight into the numbers of infections from blood and blood products in the UK between 1970 and 1991 and subsequent survival rates. Since October 2022, the Government has paid over £400 million in interim compensation payments to those infected or bereaved partners registered with the UK Infected Blood Support Schemes, totalling over 4,000 individuals. However, the requested information is not available by Parliamentary constituency. There is also considerable uncertainty over the number of people, especially those affected, who might be eligible under Sir Brian Langstaff’s recommendations. Therefore I am not able to provide a substantive response to the Honourable Member’s questions on her constituency.


Written Question
Blood: Contamination
Thursday 7th March 2024

Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people have received interim compensation payments because of (a) their and (b) their family member’s infection from contaminated blood or blood products in Luton South constituency.

Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Statistical Expert Group, established by the Infected Blood Inquiry, has provided valuable insight into the numbers of infections from blood and blood products in the UK between 1970 and 1991 and subsequent survival rates. Since October 2022, the Government has paid over £400 million in interim compensation payments to those infected or bereaved partners registered with the UK Infected Blood Support Schemes, totalling over 4,000 individuals. However, the requested information is not available by Parliamentary constituency. There is also considerable uncertainty over the number of people, especially those affected, who might be eligible under Sir Brian Langstaff’s recommendations. Therefore I am not able to provide a substantive response to the Honourable Member’s questions on her constituency.


Written Question
Veterans: Homelessness
Monday 27th November 2023

Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many full time equivalent employees in his Department work on the delivery of Op Fortitude.

Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)

Op Fortitude is coordinated by the Cabinet Office and delivered by third sector partners requiring flexible support depending on the demands on the service.

The Riverside Group is the lead delivery partner for Op FORTITUDE, bringing together Local Authorities, charities and housing providers across the UK to support homeless or rough sleeping veterans.


Written Question
Veterans: Homelessness
Tuesday 21st November 2023

Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much the Government has spent on Op Fortitude in 2023.

Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)

This Government is working towards ending veteran rough sleeping via Op FORTITUDE, a dedicated referral scheme to provide a single central point for local authorities and charities, with £8.55m in funding for specialist help for former armed forces personnel in more than 900 veteran supported housing units.


Written Question
Veterans: Radiation Exposure
Monday 20th November 2023

Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to invite all Nuclear Test Veteran charities to a reception in November 2023.

Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)

The Government is committed to recognising the contributions of Nuclear Test Veterans.

That is why the Prime Minister announced the creation of the Nuclear Test Medal in November 2022, and the government delivered on its promise that those veterans who had applied would receive their medals in time for Remembrance Sunday.

I am delighted to confirm that I will be hosting a reception on 28 November for a small cohort of the first veteran recipients of the medal. Due to limited capacity, we have prioritised inviting veterans in order to honour and recognise the contribution of those who served at the time.


Written Question
Veterans: Advisory Services
Tuesday 14th November 2023

Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much government funding was allocated to delivery of the Veterans' Gateway in (a) 2019, (b) 2019, (c) 2020, (d) 2021, (e) 2022 and (f) 2023.

Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)

The Veterans' Gateway is a first point of contact for UK armed forces veterans, and their families, providing veterans with support, including across housing, employment, finances and their wellbeing.

The service has historically been operated by a consortium of members of the charitable sector, backed by £2.75 million from the Government.

Earlier this year it was announced that we have launched a refresh of the Veterans’ Gateway, with the service to be run by the Office for Veterans’ Affairs, at the heart of government, next year.


Written Question
Veterans: Advisory Services
Thursday 20th July 2023

Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much funding his Department is providing to the Veterans' Gateway in (a) 2023, (b) 2024 and (c) 2025.

Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)

The Veterans’ Gateway enables veterans and their dependents to access state and charity support services in areas including physical and mental health, financial support, assistance with independent living, housing, and employment.

In the financial year 2023-24, the Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA) has provided £250,000 of funding to support the service, which has already supported over a million veterans.

On 13 July 2023, it was announced that the Government had launched a refresh of the Veterans’ Gateway, with the service to be run by the OVA, at the heart of government, next year.

Funding for the financial year 2024-25 is yet to be confirmed.


Written Question
Veterans: Advisory Services
Monday 17th July 2023

Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, to which organisations his Department provides funding to operate the Veterans' Gateway.

Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)

The Veterans’ Gateway enables veterans and their dependents to access state and charity support services in areas including physical and mental health, financial support, assistance with independent living, housing, and employment.

Whilst the Government currently provides the Royal British Legion with funding to support delivery of this service which has already supported over a million veterans, the Veterans’ Gateway will be run by the Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA), at the heart of government, next year.


Written Question
Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust
Monday 17th July 2023

Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department supports (a) training, (b) services and (c) activities of grant recipients of the Armed Forces Covenant Trust’s Veterans Places, Pathways and People programme.

Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (AFCFT) is responsible for administering the HM Treasury funded Veterans’ Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund. The Ministry of Defence is the sponsor department for the AFCFT.

The Veterans’ Places, Pathways and People (VPPP) programme is funded through the Veterans’ Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, which awarded £9 million to 14 major projects through the VPPP programme.

The VPPP programme aims to deliver significant improvements in mental health and wellbeing services for veterans and also to ensure that the people who work with veterans, including paid staff and volunteers, can access good quality training and support themselves.


Written Question
Veterans: Radiation Exposure
Monday 19th June 2023

Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to take steps to hold a ceremony for nuclear test veterans receiving medallic recognition.

Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)

Nuclear Test Veterans played a valuable role towards developing a nuclear deterrent that has ultimately kept Britain safe for decades. This Government is committed to ensuring they receive the recognition they deserve.

That is why in November 2022, the Government hosted an event at the National Memorial Arboretum, at which a new commemorative medal to mark the contribution of Nuclear Test Veterans was announced by the Prime Minister.