Source · Select Committees · Defence Committee
Recommendation 13
13
Accepted
Armed Forces Covenant not consistently implemented, falling short of its commitment.
Conclusion
The Armed Forces Covenant is a solemn commitment by our whole society to recognise the courage and dedication of our Armed Forces. While progress has been made since the Covenant was introduced, it is still not consistently implemented and as a result our society is falling short of that commitment far too often. The upcoming Armed Forces Bill is an opportunity to renew and reinforce the nation’s promise to those who serve, but this is only part of the change that needs to occur. Understanding of the Covenant needs to be deeply embedded in our institutions and in wider society so that those who have served can be in no doubt that the Covenant is there to support them. The Covenant gives us all a duty to our service men and women; we must take it as seriously as they have taken their duty to us. (Conclusion, Paragraph 39) 28
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the conclusion, highlighting existing positive impacts of the Covenant, including enshrining it into law, and states it will continue to explore ways to enhance support for the Armed Forces community.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
We agree with the Committee’s conclusion at Paragraph 39. The Government values the contribution the Armed Forces community has made in support of the UK’s security and defence. We recognise the sacrifices made by service personnel and their families sacrifices that are often not shared by wider society. The MOD remains wholly committed to honouring these sacrifices and to supporting the Armed Forces community. It is important to recognise the Covenant continues to have a significant, positive impact on the Armed Forces community. Some examples of positive changes include the following: • To support Armed Forces children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) facing service-related disadvantages from frequent moves, the DfE recently published non-statutory guidance for Local Authorities on handling Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP) for children with SEND moving in or out of their area. Crucially, it clarified that Local Authorities have the legal flexibility to maintain these plans even when a child temporarily leaves England – a key outcome of close work between the MOD and the DfE, and an important step for Armed Forces families. • The MHCLG legislated in November 2024 to honour the commitment to support Armed Forces communities, to exempt all former members of the regular Armed Forces from any local connection tests for social housing applied by local councils in England. This ensured that regardless of when they last served, no veteran of the regular Armed Forces would need to meet a local connection test for social housing, ensuring that veterans across the UK have access to the housing support they need. • The National Health Service (NHS) has developed dedicated pathways to ensure veterans can access support tailored to the unique needs of the Armed Forces community. This marks an important step in recognising and addressing those specific needs. We are committed to continuing to strengthen the valuable work already conducted by those governed by the Covenant Duty and those that have signed the pledge. The MOD believes that enshrining the Armed Forces Covenant fully into law will help ensure the needs of the Armed Forces community are placed at the forefront of policy and decision makers’ minds. We will continue to explore ways to enhance our support and ensure the Covenant remains a meaningful commitment. The MOD remains dedicated to recognising the unique commitment that members of the Armed Forces and their families make for Defence and hope that embedding the Covenant fully into law will reinforce this Government’s manifesto commitment and renew the contract with those who serve and have served.