Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate the Government has made of the number of commonwealth veterans and their families who worked for UK armed forces before their countries gained independence who are now living in poverty.

It is estimated that there are just over 11,600 older people from Commonwealth or former Commonwealth countries who served in the British Armed Forces prior to their countries gaining independence. Of this number, it is known that around 7,000 are living in absolute poverty.

Of these, 6,054 are eligible for the FCDO's Commonwealth Veteran's Programme. Through this programme, the FCDO provides regular cash transfers to Commonwealth veterans and their widows and widowers in 29 countries to ensure they receive the equivalent of two healthy meals a day to prevent them from going hungry.