Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps to introduce a national protocol to provide consistent access to public services for Armed Forces families not based in one location.

Since 2011, the Armed Forces Covenant has been improving service provision to the Armed Forces community across the country. The Covenant is a promise by the nation ensuring that those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, are treated fairly, wherever they are in the country. Its principles are that members of the Armed Forces community should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services, and that special provision is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most, such as the injured and the bereaved.

The Covenant is deliberately designed to be flexible to ensure the relevant organisations retain the ability to take decisions about service delivery that are right for their local context and circumstances.