Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Ministry of Defence

Oral Answers to Questions

Sally-Ann Hart Excerpts
Monday 24th May 2021

(2 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Leo Docherty Portrait Leo Docherty
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I thank my hon. Friend for the terrific work that he does to represent the interests of veterans in his constituency. I am concerned to hear the details about Mr Roberts. If my hon. Friend forwards me the details, I will pursue that case with urgency.

Sally-Ann Hart Portrait Sally-Ann Hart (Hastings and Rye) (Con)
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What steps his Department is taking to protect veterans from vexatious legal claims.

Heather Wheeler Portrait Mrs Heather Wheeler (South Derbyshire) (Con)
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What steps his Department is taking to protect veterans from vexatious legal claims.

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Leo Docherty Portrait The Minister for Defence People and Veterans (Leo Docherty)
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On 29 April 2021, we delivered the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Act 2021, which is a landmark piece of legislation that will mean that our armed forces in the future can deploy with confidence when they are going around the world to do their duty.

Sally-Ann Hart Portrait Sally-Ann Hart [V]
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I am grateful to my hon. Friend and the Secretary of State for delivering this important piece of legislation, and to his predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Moor View (Johnny Mercer), for his important contribution. Will my hon. Friend the Minister outline what work has been done to communicate important changes contained in the Act to servicemen and women and veterans, including those in Hastings and Rye?

Leo Docherty Portrait Leo Docherty
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I am grateful for the work that my hon. Friend does in Hastings and Rye to represent the interests of veterans. It falls on us all to sing from the rooftops about this landmark Act. We will be communicating it through every channel available to us, and we will look at whether we can include it in pre-deployment training.