Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what funding his Department provided to the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust in (a) 2019, (b) 2020, (c) 2021, (d) 2022 and (e) 2023.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (AFCFT) are a charity and are classified as a Non-Departmental Public Body of the Ministry of Defence and look after the Armed Forces Covenant Fund, which is worth £10 million each year.
The AFCFT has worked with the OVA to help support programmes such as £499,471 for Op Fortitude, £5 million for the Afghan Veterans Fund and extra support for mental health programmes.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much funding provided by his Department has been spent on the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust’s Veterans Places, Pathways and People programme in each year since 2019.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (AFCFT) are a charity and are classified as a Non-Departmental Public Body of the Ministry of Defence and look after the Armed Forces Covenant Fund, which is worth £10 million each year.
The AFCFT has worked with the OVA to help support programmes such as £499,471 for Op Fortitude, £5 million for the Afghan Veterans Fund and extra support for mental health programmes.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has published recent guidance for veterans seeking support through the Reducing Veteran Homelessness programme.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
This Government is working towards ending veteran homelessness this year, with £8.55m in funding for specialist help for former armed forces personnel in more than 900 veteran supported housing units, and a referral pathway.
The Reducing Veteran Homelessness programme, which aims to address veterans homelessness and rough sleeping through the provision of specialist services, such as mental health or employment support, was launched in April.
This programme was open to veteran supported housing providers across the UK until 22 May and applications will be assessed by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust. Successful organisations are expected to start their projects in September 2023, and will be supplemented by Op FORTITUDE, the new referral pathway for veterans experiencing or facing homelessness.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many homeless veterans have secured accommodation through the Reducing Veteran Homelessness Programme in each region.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
This Government is working towards ending veteran homelessness this year, with £8.55m in funding for specialist help for former armed forces personnel in more than 900 veteran supported housing units, and a referral pathway.
The Reducing Veteran Homelessness programme, which aims to address veterans homelessness and rough sleeping through the provision of specialist services, such as mental health or employment support, was launched in April.
This programme was open to veteran supported housing providers across the UK until 22 May and applications will be assessed by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust. Successful organisations are expected to start their projects in September 2023, and will be supplemented by Op FORTITUDE, the new referral pathway for veterans experiencing or facing homelessness.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that homeless veterans can access accommodation through the Reducing Veteran Homelessness Programme in all regions.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
This Government is working towards ending veteran homelessness this year, with £8.55m in funding for specialist help for former armed forces personnel in more than 900 veteran supported housing units, and a referral pathway.
The Reducing Veteran Homelessness programme, which aims to address veterans homelessness and rough sleeping through the provision of specialist services, such as mental health or employment support, was launched in April.
This programme was open to veteran supported housing providers across the UK until 22 May and applications will be assessed by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust. Successful organisations are expected to start their projects in September 2023, and will be supplemented by Op FORTITUDE, the new referral pathway for veterans experiencing or facing homelessness.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what programmes the Nuclear Test Veteran Community Fund is funding.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
This Government is committed to ensuring that the veterans of Britain’s nuclear testing programme are never forgotten.
We are therefore investing £450,000 into projects, including through the NTV Community Fund, which will commemorate and build further understanding of the experiences of this cohort who ultimately kept Britain safe for decades. Applications to the NTV Community Fund are being considered and the successful applicants will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much his Department spent on helping homeless veterans into accommodation in each month in 2023.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
A record of how many homeless veterans supported into accommodation is not held centrally.
Up to £8m has been committed to the Reducing Veteran Homelessness programme which launched on 21 April. This programme is designed to fund veteran supported housing providers across the UK to address veterans homelessness and rough sleeping through the provision of specialist services such as mental health or employment support.
An additional £500k was provided to support Op FORTITUDE, the new referral pathway for veterans experiencing or facing homelessness.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many homeless veterans his Department has supported into accommodation in each month of 2023.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
A record of how many homeless veterans supported into accommodation is not held centrally.
Up to £8m has been committed to the Reducing Veteran Homelessness programme which launched on 21 April. This programme is designed to fund veteran supported housing providers across the UK to address veterans homelessness and rough sleeping through the provision of specialist services such as mental health or employment support.
An additional £500k was provided to support Op FORTITUDE, the new referral pathway for veterans experiencing or facing homelessness.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the press release entitled Major new grants now available to fund specialist care for homeless veterans, published by his Department on 21 April 2023, how many and what proportion of the 900 veteran-supported housing places were in use in each month of 2023.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
The Reducing Veteran Homelessness programme launched on 21 April to offer funding to veteran supported housing providers across the UK, to address veterans homelessness and rough sleeping through the provision of specialist services such as mental health or employment support. The programme was open for organisations to apply for funding until 22 May and applications will be assessed by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust. Successful applicants are expected to start their projects in September 2023.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what specialist care services are provided to veterans who have accessed accommodation through the veteran homelessness programme.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
The Reducing Veteran Homelessness programme launched on 21 April to offer funding to veteran supported housing providers across the UK, to address veterans homelessness and rough sleeping through the provision of specialist services such as mental health or employment support. The programme was open for organisations to apply for funding until 22 May and applications will be assessed by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust. Successful applicants are expected to start their projects in September 2023.