Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what engagement they have had about the Armed Forces Bill with (1) the Northern Ireland Executive, and (2) individual Ministers within the Northern Ireland Executive; when this engagement took place; and what the outcome was of any such engagement.

The Northern Ireland Executive and relevant Departments, along with representatives from the Scottish and Welsh Governments, were consulted during the development of the Armed Forces Bill, and the former Minister for Defence People and Veterans wrote to the Northern Ireland First Minister and Deputy First Minister on 17 March 2021 outlining the Government’s proposals for the new Covenant duty. The Department is currently engaging with the Northern Ireland Executive on the development of the statutory guidance that will support the new Covenant Duty, including a focus group the week of 19 July 2021, to ensure that the public bodies in scope have the information they need to better understand the impact of Service life on the Armed Forces Community.