Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to promote Armed Forces Covenant among (a) businesses and (b) the general population.

Defence has a network of Defence Relationship Management National Account Managers and Regional Employer Engagement Directors who promote the signing of the Armed Forces Covenant to the employers they work with. They also help organisations through the process of devising their bespoke pledges and arranging signing events.

The Government has met its manifesto commitment to strengthen the Armed Forces Covenant in law by introducing a new statutory Covenant Duty, which came into force in November 2022. The new duty helps promote better outcomes for the Armed Forces community when accessing key public services. Since 2015, local delivery has been supported by the Covenant Fund, looked after by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, of more than £10 million each year, which funds projects across the UK in support of the Armed Forces. The Trust have awarded over £14 million since 1 April 2022 to more than 300 projects that support the Armed Forces community across the UK.