Contributions
589 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Royal British LegionIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Jeremy. I am grateful to the hon. Member for Hinckley and Bosworth (Dr Evans) for securing the debate, and for giving hon.…01 Apr 2025HANSARD Royal British LegionIf I can be there, I definitely will. It will be fantastic and I would not want to miss it. It has been mentioned that the Royal British Legion was founded in 1921 from the…01 Apr 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsI have met nuclear test veterans from two of the main charities, and I will continue to do so regularly to ensure that there is continuity of engagement. We have promised to do…24 Mar 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsThat is a truly harrowing story. I will absolutely take that on, and we will meet straight after this and get it solved.24 Mar 2025HANSARDSexual HarassmentAs part of our future veterans strategy, a women veterans annexe will provide specific guidance on females wanting to leave the armed forces. It is also important to mention that…24 Mar 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsThe veterans ID card is a fantastic initiative that has now been rolled out for most veterans. We have thousands of applications a week and will continue to endeavour to ensure…24 Mar 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsThis absolutely is a step change. A tri-service complaints system, removed from the single services, has been called for for a long time. We have taken decisive action to do that,…24 Mar 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsThat is a great question. The Royal Marine band service is the best band service in our armed forces, and it is absolutely safe under our watch. It provides a fantastic influence…24 Mar 2025HANSARDSupport for VeteransI have always said that we train people to join the military and to be in the military, but we do not necessarily train them to be a civilian after they leave. That is why this…24 Mar 2025HANSARDSupport for VeteransI thank all the people, most of whom are probably volunteers, who are supporting veterans in the hon. Member’s constituency. Two days ago I visited another tri-service veterans…24 Mar 2025HANSARDSupport for VeteransAs the hon. Member knows very well, access to social and affordable housing is a severe problem across the country. We work with many councils, explaining to them the covenant as…24 Mar 2025HANSARDSupport for VeteransI congratulate the individuals in that trust on supporting the veterans in my hon. Friend’s constituency. I have visited many different parts of the UK and observed the phenomenal…24 Mar 2025HANSARDSexual HarassmentThere are two principal elements. The tri-service complaints system sits outside the chain of command, and when certain issues hit a threshold, they will be taken away from the…24 Mar 2025HANSARDSupport for VeteransThat is a great initiative. Service beyond service is something that we should be promoting, and I will take that as best practice, have a look at it and see whether we can roll…24 Mar 2025HANSARDSupport for VeteransThe right hon. Member makes an important point. Having visited Northern Ireland just two weeks ago, I share the concerns of many veterans who have served in Northern Ireland,…24 Mar 2025HANSARDSupport for VeteransLet us be absolutely clear: the right hon. Gentleman is looking at an individual who served his country on Operation Banner, so I understand the issues for all our veterans and I…24 Mar 2025HANSARDSexual HarassmentOver the last 24 years, I have had the absolute privilege of working with amazing servicewomen across the armed forces, and also with women in the police, the NHS and, of course,…24 Mar 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsI thank my hon. Friend for highlighting two amazing individuals who I imagine are putting a huge number of hours into supporting the veterans community and the armed forces…24 Mar 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsThat is a really valid question. We pay out more than £1.5 billion a year in compensation through the armed forces compensation scheme and the war pension scheme. If the hon.…24 Mar 2025HANSARDCadets: Career PreparationI will happily come and talk through that in due course. I have been in the military for 24 years and have spent a lot of time shooting, and I can see its benefits.24 Mar 2025