Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent estimate he has made of the number of applications that have been (a) received and (b) granted under the scheme allowing former armed forces personnel discharged over sexuality to apply to have service medals restored.

Diversity and Inclusion continues to be a priority for Defence and, while we have made encouraging progress, we still have further to go to achieve the essential cultural change necessary to ensure that we are as open, tolerant, fair, and equal as all high-performing organisations need to be. LGBT+ personnel have made, and continue to make, significant contributions to the Armed Forces. It is deeply regrettable that, because of their sexuality, some members of the Armed Forces were, in the past, treated in a way that would not be acceptable today.

Since the policy announcement on the restoration of medals in February 2021, the MOD has received seven applications for the restoration of medals. A disregard for any previous conviction is a pre-condition for the restoration of an honour or medal and one veteran, who had obtained a disregard for a previous conviction, has had their medals returned. The other cases remain under review in light of the introduction of the recent Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and potential implications for convictions for which disregards are available.