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1666943

	registered interest
	date	24/10/2023
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Armed Forces Covenant
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made with the implementation of the Armed Forces Covenant throughout all parts of the UK.
	tabling member printed	Lord Weir of Ballyholme
	uin	HL10798
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/10/2023 answer text <p>The Armed Forces Covenant continues to be a key Government priority and provides support to the Armed Forces community across the UK, ensuring that they are treated fairly. This commitment was strengthened in November 2022 with the introduction of a new statutory Covenant Duty. This places a duty of due regard on specific public bodies to ensure they consider the Covenant principles when conducting certain of their functions in healthcare, housing, and education, with the aim of improving outcomes for the Armed Forces community.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, over 11,000 organisations have signed pledges in support of the Covenant to the wider benefit of the Armed Forces community.</p><p> </p><p>The Armed Forces Covenant applies equally across the UK, including Northern Ireland. Good progress is being made in delivery of the Covenant in Northern Ireland, though its unique historical and political circumstances mean that delivery of the Covenant has to be approached in a different way to the rest of the UK. The Armed Forces Community in Northern Ireland is currently supported through 38 (Irish) Brigade, the Veterans Welfare Service Northern Ireland, and the Northern Ireland Veterans' Support Office. These organisations work with government departments, local councils, and the third sector to ensure that serving personnel and veterans, and their families, get the support they need.</p> answering member printed Baroness Goldie grouped question UIN HL10799 question first answered 26/10/2023 10:15:50 answering member 4306 label Biography information for Baroness Goldie
	tabling member	4970 label Biography information for Lord Weir of Ballyholme

347251

	registered interest
	date	28/05/2015
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Armed Forces Covenant
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, since it began, how much armed forces covenant funding has been allocated to projects in (1) England, (2) Scotland, (3) Wales, and (4) Northern Ireland.
	tabling member printed	Lord Laird
	uin	HL115
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/06/2015 answer text <p>I refer the noble Lord to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for Defence Personnel and Veterans (Mark Lancaster), in the House of Commons on 2 June 2015 to Question number 428 from the hon. Member for St. Helens North (Conor McGinn).</p><p> </p> answering member printed Earl Howe attachment 1 file name 20150601-40M Veterans Accommodation Fund[1].doc HL 115.doc title Veterans Accomodation Fund 2 file name 20150601-35M LIBOR Fund(2).xls HL 115.xls title LIBOR FUND (Excel Spreadsheet) question first answered 08/06/2015 15:20:24 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
	tabling member	2479 label Biography information for Lord Laird

385728

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2015
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Armed Forces Covenant
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 27 June (HL501) regarding the distribution of the armed forces covenant (Libor) fund, who selected the charities for funding; when; and on what basis.
	tabling member printed	Lord Laird
	uin	HL852
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2015 answer text <p>In 2013, the Government made £35 million available to deliver Armed Forces Covenant commitments from fines levied on banks for the attempted manipulation of Libor. The cross-Government Covenant Reference Group, which is chaired by the Cabinet Office and includes representatives from key Government Departments, the Devolved Administrations, the Service charity sector, and the three Service Families Federations, set the priorities for the fund. The first two tranches focused on mental health and support for Service families, while the third tranche was open to any project meeting the principles of the Covenant.</p><p> </p><p>In 2014, a further £40 million of Libor funds were made available specifically to support veterans with a housing need via the Veterans Accommodation Fund (VAF). The criteria and application process for both schemes were published on gov.uk.</p><p> </p><p>Both funds were administered by the Armed Forces Covenant team. Against the agreed priorities, applicants had to demonstrate evidence of need, experience of providing a service and value for money. A decision panel was convened to agree the final allocation of funding.</p><p> </p><p>The panel for the £35 million fund sat three times between 2012 and 2014 and included representatives from the Ministry of Defence Covenant and Financial Governance teams, H M Treasury, COBSEO, the three Service Families Federations, and the Welsh and Scottish Governments.</p><p> </p><p>The panel for the VAF sat on 7 July 2014 and included representatives from the Ministry of Defence Covenant and Financial Governance teams, H M Treasury, the Welsh and Scottish Governments, the Army Families Federation, The Royal British Legion and COBSEO Housing Cluster.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Earl Howe question first answered 06/07/2015 15:18:31 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
	tabling member	2479 label Biography information for Lord Laird

631034

	registered interest
	date	07/11/2016
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Armed Forces Covenant
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the implementation of the Armed Forces Covenant by local authorities.
	tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
	uin	HL3053
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2016 answer text <p>The Covenant’s principles were enshrined in law in the Armed Forces Act 2011. This Government has demonstrated its commitment to upholding these principles, which is evident in the work reported in each of the four annual reports laid in the House. We will continue to report progress to Parliament. Next month’s Annual Report will detail the considerable progress made across government and with wider public, private and third sectors, including in the key areas of education, healthcare, accommodation and access to commercial services.</p><p> </p><p>Every Local Authority in mainland Great Britain and two in Northern Ireland have signed a Community Covenant. We are working with them to help them deliver the support they have promised to the Armed Forces community, with good work in many areas including housing, education, health and social care.</p><p> </p><p>Together we have taken a number of steps forward in this area, such as allocating funding from a £20 million budget to improve childcare facilities for Service families at 40 locations in the UK and Cyprus. In order to help Service children through local schools’ admissions processes, we have changed the Schools Admission Code in England to give them priority by allowing Service families to apply for and be allocated a place before they move into an area.</p><p> </p><p>This year approximately £21 million was allocated in Service Pupil Premium payments for the pastoral needs of almost 70,000 Service pupils in state schools in England. In 2015, £6 million in grants was given to 154 applicants for Education Support Funding, to help UK state schools mitigate issues caused by exceptional mobility and deployment.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, we have worked closely with the Department for Communities and Local Government and Devolved Administrations to ensure that Service personnel do not experience any disadvantage as a result of their military service when applying for social housing.</p> answering member printed Earl Howe question first answered 17/11/2016 16:23:23 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
	tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

675731

	registered interest
	date	19/01/2017
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Armed Forces Covenant
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the <i>Armed forces covenant for communities</i>, published on 12 January, what action they are taking to help local authorities to adapt their policies to remove disadvantages faced by members of the armed forces community.
	tabling member printed	Lord Touhig
	uin	HL4806
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/01/2017 answer text <p>The conclusions and recommendations of the report “Our Community – Our Covenant” are available at the following address <a href="http://www.fim-trust.org/%20reports/" target="_blank">http://www.fim-trust.org/ reports/</a> and include practical guidance, a tool kit and a self-assessment section, which have been commended to Local Authorities across the UK.</p><p> </p><p>A cross-Government Action Plan is currently being drafted to promote and assess progress. This is being supported by Covenant Funding available to Local Authorities who wish to adopt new processes or initiatives in support of the Covenant. This includes building on existing good practice; in Warwickshire, for example, an IT training package on the Covenant and how it applies to that community is in the process of being launched.</p> answering member printed Earl Howe grouped question UIN HL4807 question first answered 30/01/2017 16:23:52 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
	tabling member	542 label Biography information for Lord Touhig

675732

	registered interest
	date	19/01/2017
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Armed Forces Covenant
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance they have given to local authorities regarding the training required to ensure that local authority staff properly implement the policies of the <i>Armed forces covenant for communities</i>.
	tabling member printed	Lord Touhig
	uin	HL4807
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/01/2017 answer text <p>The conclusions and recommendations of the report “Our Community – Our Covenant” are available at the following address <a href="http://www.fim-trust.org/%20reports/" target="_blank">http://www.fim-trust.org/ reports/</a> and include practical guidance, a tool kit and a self-assessment section, which have been commended to Local Authorities across the UK.</p><p> </p><p>A cross-Government Action Plan is currently being drafted to promote and assess progress. This is being supported by Covenant Funding available to Local Authorities who wish to adopt new processes or initiatives in support of the Covenant. This includes building on existing good practice; in Warwickshire, for example, an IT training package on the Covenant and how it applies to that community is in the process of being launched.</p> answering member printed Earl Howe grouped question UIN HL4806 question first answered 30/01/2017 16:23:52 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
	tabling member	542 label Biography information for Lord Touhig

1348703

	registered interest
	date	20/07/2021
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Armed Forces Covenant
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to encourage more organisations to sign the Armed Forces Covenant.
	tabling member constituency	Wolverhampton South West
	tabling member printed	Stuart Anderson
	uin	36769
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2021 answer text <p>The Armed Forces Covenant applies throughout the UK and is delivered across all sectors of society. Every Local Authority in Great Britain has signed the Covenant and over 7,000 organisations have pledged support. Signing up to the Covenant is encouraged on a national and local level. Defence Relationship Management works closely with businesses and other organisations to encourage them to sign the Covenant and uphold their pledges. The Ministry of Defence works closely with local authorities to support their delivery of the Covenant. We promote the Covenant through regular communications and engagement activities, such as conferences and events. Signing the Covenant also provides the signatory with the opportunity to be recognised by the Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) award. To date, 494 organisations hold the ERS Gold Standard for partnering with Defence.</p> answering member constituency Aldershot answering member printed Leo Docherty question first answered 22/07/2021 13:34:49 answering member 4600 label Biography information for Leo Docherty
	tabling member	4742 label Biography information for Stuart Anderson

1404290

	registered interest
	date	19/01/2022
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Armed Forces Covenant
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his timetable is for the implementation of phase 2 of the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.
	tabling member constituency	Pontypridd
	tabling member printed	Alex Davies-Jones
	uin	107744
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/01/2022 answer text <p>The Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) is an ongoing programme of work and will continue to be a key part of the Ministry of Defence's long-term plans to develop and encourage public support for the Armed Forces community through the Armed Forces Covenant.</p><p>There is no timetable for the implementation of a second phase of the Defence ERS; there is an annual programme of review and award to enable interested employers to progress through the three levels of the scheme (Bronze to Silver to Gold) which begins in January each year.</p> answering member constituency Aldershot answering member printed Leo Docherty question first answered 24/01/2022 16:37:55 answering member 4600 label Biography information for Leo Docherty
	tabling member	4849 label Biography information for Alex Davies-Jones

1453184

	registered interest
	date	22/03/2022
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Armed Forces Covenant
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department plans to take to monitor the application of the new Armed Forces Covenant Duty on relevant public bodies; and if he will take steps to ensure members of the Armed Forces community have access to information on the effectiveness of the Covenant's operation.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley East
	tabling member printed	Stephanie Peacock
	uin	145005
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/03/2022 answer text <p>The Government is currently working with stakeholders to explore methods to review the effectiveness of the Covenant Duty. The Government has committed to formally review the effectiveness of the Duty in the Covenant Annual Report 2023, which will be laid before Parliament, and made available to members of the public.</p> answering member constituency Aldershot answering member printed Leo Docherty question first answered 28/03/2022 11:54:44 answering member 4600 label Biography information for Leo Docherty
	tabling member	4607 label Biography information for Stephanie Peacock

453162

	registered interest
	date	19/02/2016
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Armed Forces Covenant
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many cases the Schools Adjudicator has investigated in connection with the provisions of the Armed Forces Covenant since 2011.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Yardley
	tabling member printed	Jess Phillips
	uin	27540
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2016 answer text <p>In response to the Armed Forces Covenant, the School Admissions Code (the code) contains various provisions to ensure that children of UK service personnel are not disadvantaged when applying for a school place. Admission authorities are required to comply with the code. Objections citing provisions relating to the Armed Forces Covenant would not be within the Office of the School Adjudicator’s jurisdiction (excluding those relating to service premium admission).</p><p>The Office of the School’s Adjudicator has not received any objections relating to this issue.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 24/02/2016 14:28:27 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	4370 label Biography information for Jess Phillips