To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what resources his Department has allocated to undertake the review of veteran welfare services.
Answered on
30 March 2023
The independent review of veterans' welfare support services, announced by the Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA) and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) on 2 March 2023, will encompass the MOD’s Veterans’ Welfare Services, as well as the Northern Ireland Veterans Support Office, and the Government's role in the Veterans’ Gateway, and how they fit into wider Government support to veterans. It will also align with the Reviews of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees that are currently underway. The review will build on the positive work already being undertaken across Government under the Strategy for our Veterans, including the MOD’s £40M digitalisation project, which will significantly improve customer service and the process for managing claims through MOD.
The review will be conducted by an independent Senior Civil Servant (SCS), who will be supported by a joint secretariat from the MOD and Cabinet Office. Terms of reference for the review, which is expected to last for approximately three months, will be published shortly. A copy of the review and the Government's response will be placed in the Library of the House.