Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Ministry of Defence has issued to prison governors any guidelines on meeting the needs of prisoners who are armed forces veterans.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not issue guidelines to prison governors. However, my officials work closely with their counterparts in the Ministry of Justice to address the issues facing veterans in the criminal justice system. We achieve effect through the Ex-Service Offenders Working Group (ESOWG) which includes the Ministry of Justice, the National Offender Management Service and Service charities.

The ESOWG aims to ensure that the ex-Service prison and probation offender populations, their families and resettlement services are fully informed of the support available from Defence Business Services, Veterans UK and the voluntary and charitable sectors. This support and assistance applies during imprisonment as well as pre- and post-discharge.

A key objective of the ESOWG is to ensure that the differing requirements of ex-Service prisoners are understood and communicated and that tailored support is available in those prison establishments with higher veteran populations.