Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2026 to question 114218 on Veterans: Mental Health Services, by when will he establish a) a VALOUR HQ and b) a network of VALOUR Field Officers.

VALOUR will give veterans across the UK easier access to the essential care and support available to them.

VALOUR Recognised Centres (VRC) will enable veterans, and in due course the wider Armed Forces Community, to access in-person guidance and support. Applications for the first round of VALOUR Development Funding for organisations wishing to become a VRC closed on 14 January 2026. They are currently being assessed, and successful bids will be announced in due course.

The VALOUR Recognised Centres Development Fund is administered by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (AFCFT) on behalf of the Office for Veterans' Affairs (OVA). Further detail on the fund’s criteria is published on the AFCFT website.

A network of VALOUR Field Officers (VFOs) will aim to bring together charities, service providers, and local government to improve collaboration and coordination and enable data-driven policy and service development. The first phase of recruitment for VFOs is currently underway.

VALOUR HQ, within the MOD, will gather data and insight, working with policy and research teams to ensure services are designed to meet local needs. The HQ team is currently being established within the Office for Veterans’ Affairs.