Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make it his policy to extend the duty of due regard under the Armed Forces Covenant to cover (a) social care, (b) employment, (c) pensions, (d) compensation and (e) immigration before the next General Election.

Since 2011, when the Armed Forces Covenant came into existence in its current form, central and devolved Governments have taken forward many initiatives to the benefit of serving personnel, veterans, and their families. However, we recognise that a clearer public acknowledgement of their role in supporting the Covenant could be beneficial. I have therefore instructed my officials to further explore how central Government and the Devolved Administrations could strengthen their commitment, and to see what more can be done in terms of the Legal Duty. This work will be taken forward over the next year and will also encompass the consideration of widening the scope of the Duty to other policy areas.