Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Armed Forces Covenant Fund at achieving its objectives.

The annual £10 million Armed Forces Covenant Fund continues to provide real change to Armed Forces communities across the UK. Through the effective management of the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, the Covenant Fund continues to adhere to the four funding themes outlined since its inception: non-core healthcare services for veterans; removing barriers to family life; extra support, both in and after service, for those that need help; and measures to integrate military and civilian communities. In doing so, since 2015 the Fund has distributed £75 million to support Service personnel, veterans and their families across the UK. In addition, the Trust has also awarded additional funding outside of the Covenant Fund for wider programmes supporting the Armed Forces community including the Covid Impact Programme, the Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, and the Afghanistan Veterans Fund.