Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to provide adequate (a) staffing and (b) budget to implement the extension of the armed forces covenant legal duty.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Local Government Association, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is co-developing a burdens assessment to understand the potential impacts on Local Authorities. In addition, to support organisations in meeting their Covenant Duty obligations, the MOD will provide training materials, webinars, downloadable resources and clear statutory guidance. Officials continue to work at pace to ensure legislation benefits the entire Armed Forces Community.