Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of extending the armed forces covenant legal duty on resources in Government departments.

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.