Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the accessibility of the application scheme for LGBT veterans to apply for restorative measures.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Government worked with LGBT Veterans and charities at pace to implement an accessible process for LGBT veterans to apply for restorative measures.
The Government has provided guidance to applicants on GOV.UK, explaining each restorative measure, the application process, estimated delivery timelines and contact information.
The application forms ensure that all new and planned non-financial restorative measures can be applied to in one single application, with applicants selecting their preferred method of engagement.
Defence is committed to making restorative measures easily accessible for our valued LGBT veterans and encourages them to access the guidance and application forms on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 7 February 2024 to Question 12239 on LGBT Veterans Independent Review, what progress his Department has made on implementing the final 23 recommendations made by the LGBT Veterans Independent Review, published on 19 July 2023.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Of the remaining 23 recommendations, eight are for Defence, including the recommendations for a financial award. 12 of the recommendations are for the National Health Service, while the Office for Veterans’ Affairs is leading on the three recommendations for a memorial.
The Government is committed to maintaining the momentum of the Review and continues to work at pace on the outstanding recommendations, all of which are on track to be delivered in line with the timelines committed to in the Government’s response to the Review. Defence is committed to providing updates on the dedicated LGBT Veterans: Support and Next Steps GOV.UK page at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/lgbt-veterans-support-and-next-steps.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to help increase the uptake of job transition services for veterans.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Resettlement services are offered to all personnel leaving the Regular Armed Forces with employment support and training delivered through the an official provider, the Career Transition Partnership (CTP). CTP supports the transition from military to civilian life through a range of career and employment support services . CTP works with hundreds of employers who recognise the talent pool leaving the Armed Forces and the skills, experience and strong working ethos Service leavers bring with them after a military career.
Although the CTP service is available to all personnel who qualify, some may choose not to use it. From 27 November 2023 all Service leavers have been automatically registered with the CTP and must now actively ‘opt out’.
Over the past 25 years the CTP has provided transition support to over 310,000 Service leavers across all ranks and Services, with an average of 15,000 accessing the programme each year. Defence Statistics have published annual figures detailing employment outcomes for Service leavers who left during 2021/22 on www.GOV.uk - https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/career-transition-partnership-ex-service-personnel-employment-outcomes-financial-year-202122. 87% of Service personnel who left the UK Armed Forces and used a billable CTP service were employed after six months.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to consult LGBT veteran charities and activists on the implementation of the recommendations in the LGBT Veterans Independent Review.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Government has accepted the recommendations of the LGBT Veterans Independent Review, and our committed deadlines can be found in the Government's formal response to the Review: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lgbt-veterans-independent-review-government-response. The Government continues to work at pace to deliver the intent behind the report’s recommendations, and as of 8 February 2024, 26 of the 49 recommendations have already been completed. There is and has been extensive engagement with LGBT veteran charities and activists at both official and Ministerial level, and Defence will continue to engage with LGBT veterans as we deliver the recommendations.
Defence encourages those affected to apply for and register their interest in restorative measures by completing an application of interest form on the following page: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/lgbt-veterans-support-and-next-steps.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to publish deadlines for the implementation of recommendations from the LGBT Veterans Independent Review.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Government has accepted the recommendations of the LGBT Veterans Independent Review, and our committed deadlines can be found in the Government's formal response to the Review: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lgbt-veterans-independent-review-government-response. The Government continues to work at pace to deliver the intent behind the report’s recommendations, and as of 8 February 2024, 26 of the 49 recommendations have already been completed. There is and has been extensive engagement with LGBT veteran charities and activists at both official and Ministerial level, and Defence will continue to engage with LGBT veterans as we deliver the recommendations.
Defence encourages those affected to apply for and register their interest in restorative measures by completing an application of interest form on the following page: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/lgbt-veterans-support-and-next-steps.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many veterans ID cards have been distributed in each region.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Armed Forces Veteran Card Scheme has had a two-phase rollout. Phase One is complete; all Service leavers since December 2018 automatically receive an HM Forces Veteran Card from Ministry of Defence as part of their discharge process. The attached table shows the total number of Phase One cards distributed in each region.
A regional breakdown is not currently available for phase two which extends access to the HM Armed Forces Veteran Card to those who left before December 2018. The new digital application and verification service launched at 00:01 on 28 January 2024 allowing pre-2018 Veterans to apply for the card. As of Thursday 8 February 2024 a total of 28,882 cards had been dispatched in the Phase 2 roll out. An update to the case management system will provide a regional breakdown on a monthly basis from March 2024.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the support provided by the Veterans Welfare Service.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Veterans Welfare Service was subject to the Independent Review of UK Government Welfare Services for Veterans (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-independent-review-of-uk-government-welfare-services-for-veterans) which was published in July 2023.
The Government response was published via Written Ministerial Statement on 11 December 2023. The Government accepted the principle and intended outcome of all the reviews recommendations and is working through the recommendations, and will provide further detail of how we will meet these via a package of communications in 2024.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the training of Veterans Welfare Service staff.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Veterans Welfare Service staff undergo standard departmental mandatory training and induction, as well as receiving training on specific subject matter relevant to its work from internal and external providers, as required. Training is included within the recommendations of the 2023 Independent Review of UK Government Welfare Services for Veterans (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-independent-review-of-uk-government-welfare-services-for-veterans) and changes are being implemented in line with this.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to facilitate parliamentary scrutiny of the Government's implementation of the LGBT Veterans Independent Review.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 December 2023 to Question 5980 to the hon. Member for Brentford and Isleworth (Ruth Cadbury).
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he last met with representatives of Fighting with Pride on the issue of adequate compensation for LGBT veterans following Lord Etherton’s review.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to question 12239 on 7 February 2024.