Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding from the public purse has been allocated to the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust for the financial year (a) 2020-21 and (b) 2021-22.

Since its inception in 2015, the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (AFCFT) has received £10 million per annum in funding from Her Majesty's Government (HMG), which is provided in perpetuity, to run its own grant programmes. This was the case for 2020-21 and will continue for the financial year 2021-22 and beyond.

Additionally, the AFCFT also receives funding from HMG to disburse money as charitable grants on behalf of Government departments. In 2020-21 the AFCFT received £10 million of HMG funding for the Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, £6 million for the COVID Impact Fund on behalf of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and Office for Veterans' Affairs, and £3 million for Veterans Community Centres distributed on behalf of the MOD.

In 2021-22, in addition to the annual £10 million from HMG, the AFCFT will receive a further £10 million in HMG funding for the Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund. This figure will help deliver charitable projects and initiatives across the UK that support veterans with mental health needs. The AFCFT will distribute the funds through regular programmes of support, with grants awarded to charitable organisations supporting veteran's mental health.