What steps his Department is taking to support veterans.
The Minister for Defence People and Veterans (Johnny Mercer)
The Ministry of Defence and the Office for Veterans’ Affairs are working together with colleagues across Government to improve access to social housing, employment and healthcare, as well as digitising the Veterans UK services. Defence Transition Services is delivering tailored support to service leavers and their families. The Government have delivered a veterans’ railcard and have announced a guaranteed interview scheme in the civil service and a national insurance holiday for veterans’ employers.
RecruitME in Grantham is a specialist recruitment business run by veterans for veterans. Will the Minister join me in congratulating it on its recent award for services to veterans, and will he outline what the Government are doing to encourage more employers to hire a hero?
Johnny Mercer
I pay tribute to my hon. Friend and the company he mentions. I am clear, and this Government are clear, that the single biggest factor in improving the life chances of any veteran in this country, and their family, is having a job. The Government are fundamentally changing what it means to be a veteran by offering a national insurance contribution holiday, guaranteed interviews and things like that. Working with partners in the private sector, we will make this the best country in the world to be a veteran.
I thank the Minister for his answer. The protections in the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill have been warmly welcomed in constituencies such as mine, but obviously we also have veterans of Operation Banner, so will the Minister reiterate the Department’s intention to bring forward the same protections for people who served in Northern Ireland?
Johnny Mercer
I am happy to reiterate again the Government’s position that those who served on Op Banner will be entitled to equal protections on Third Reading of the overseas operations Bill tomorrow. This is the first Government who are actually dealing with what is a very knotty and difficult issue. Northern Ireland veterans can be confident that we will not forget them—we will not leave them behind.
Will my hon. Friend join me in congratulating The Veterans Charity, which ran a Halloween-themed charity car wash in my North Devon constituency and raised almost £500 this weekend? Will he also join me in recognising the vital co-operation between the Government and the charity sector, with The Veterans Charity having helped 650 veterans this year alone?
Johnny Mercer
I pay tribute to all the groups up and down the country who work tirelessly every day to improve the lot of our veterans, particularly the ones in my hon. Friends’ constituencies. There is a shift in the provision of veterans’ services towards more of a balance between the third sector and statutory provision, but we will always require a blend of the two, and I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for her lobbying for this cause.
What steps his Department is taking to recruit and retain armed forces personnel.
The Minister for Defence People and Veterans (Johnny Mercer)
We have a range of measures supporting recruitment and retention, and continue to refine the armed forces offer. Measures include competitive pay, financial incentives, flexible service, and retention-positive accommodation programmes.
What preparations his Department has made to support the NHS and other public bodies with their response to covid-19 during winter 2020-21.
Jacob Young (Redcar) (Con)
What preparations his Department has made to support the NHS and other public bodies with their response to covid-19 during winter 2020-21.
Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con)
What preparations his Department has made to support the NHS and other public bodies with their response to covid-19 during winter 2020-21.
Strategic Defence Review: Timescale
Armed Forces: Covid-19 Response
Defence Exports: NATO
British Shipbuilding Support
Veterans Charities: Covid-19 Support
Veterans: Vexatious Legal Claims
Overseas Operations: Civil Claims
Veterans: Welfare Service
Overseas Operations: Negligence and Personal Injury Claims
UK Territorial Waters
Non-disclosure Agreements
Defence Manufacturing: Covid-19 Support
International Disinformation Threat
Topical Questions
20 of 165 shown
What is the Minister’s estimate of the quality of new recruits? Hopefully they are better than we were.
Johnny Mercer
I can safely assure my right hon. Friend that standards have risen significantly since he and I were accepted into the military. We make no bones about it: the standards to get into our military are some of the highest in comparison with our peer nations. We employ some of the finest people this nation has to offer, and under this Government we are seeing a conscious shift towards looking after them and valuing them as our finest asset.
The Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Ben Wallace)
ConservativeWyre and Preston North
As part of the national covid-19 response, Defence has supported NHS trusts in a variety of ways, with the distribution of personal protective equipment and diagnostic equipment, the planning, construction and staffing of Nightingale hospitals, and service personnel to conduct testing. We have established a winter support force of approximately 7,500 to ensure our continued support throughout the winter 2020-21 period.