Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on granting retrospective pension arrangements to Gurkha veterans who served in the armed forces.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Government greatly values the contribution that Gurkhas make in support of the UK’s security and defence and takes its responsibilities to our Gurkha veterans very seriously.
The legal basis for Gurkha pensions has been upheld by three Judicial Reviews since 2003, including a case that went to the European Court of Human Rights in 2018. The Government maintains that the 1948 Gurkha Pension Scheme continues to provide a good income for our Gurkha veterans living in Nepal, in accordance with the original scheme design.
The Government remains committed to supporting Gurkhas and their families during and after their service with the British Army, as demonstrated by the increase in funding via the Gurkha Welfare Trust, including a £24 million uplift to the medical and healthcare Grant-in-Aid already in place and an extension in principle to that Grant in Aid beyond 2029.
We remain open to conversations about what more could be done to meet the welfare needs of Gurkhas, in both the UK and in Nepal. As the Minister for Veterans and People, I am looking forward to meeting the Nepali Ambassador in the coming weeks.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of extending pension entitlements to Army reservists who were excluded from the Armed Forces Pension Scheme between July 2000 and March 2015.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Following legal advice, the Ministry of Defence has lodged an appeal against the Milroy employment tribunal ruling. We are unable to comment further on the payment of military reservist pensions for pre-2015 service whilst the appeal is ongoing.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he plans to take to help support veterans with (a) housing and (b) education and skills training in South Derbyshire constituency.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
This is a Government of service that will always stand up for those who serve our country, no matter which community they are based in. I am working across Government and with civil society to ensure veterans, including those throughout Derbyshire get access to housing, employment and other support they need.
Op FORTITUDE is a single referral pathway available across the United Kingdom that provides housing guidance and assistance to veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness and as of 24 November 2024, over 2,850 referrals have been made and nearly 816 veterans have been supported into housing.
The Prime Minister recently announced the continuation of funding for the cross-UK Reducing Veterans Homelessness Programme and Op FORTITUDE, ensuring that support will be there into 2026 for veterans at risk of homelessness. This is in addition to his commitment earlier in the year that veterans will be exempt from local connection and residency tests when applying for social housing in England.
There are a range of skills and education support available to veterans, including via the Career Transition Partnership, which supports those in search of new job and education opportunities.
Additional support is also available to veterans and their families via a Sector-Based Employment Pathway, which offers employment and career progression support, including access to qualifications and training, at any stage in their lives after leaving Service.