4th Special Report – Government response to The Armed Forces Covenant report

This is the government's response, published 16 June 2025.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The MOD agrees with the Committee's main conclusions on the Armed Forces Covenant and accepts the recommendations on extending the Covenant Legal Duty and on data collection, while stating that UK-wide minimum standards 'would not be appropriate'.

• The MOD agrees with the conclusions at Paragraphs 13 and 20 and recognises that application of the Covenant principles 'varies across the UK'.
• On a strategy for consistent application, it says the Legal Duty is 'deliberately flexible and does not mandate outcomes', and that UK-wide minimum standards would not be appropriate. It will provide training materials, webinars, downloadable resources and updated statutory guidance.
• It accepts the recommendation to extend the Duty to all government departments and the devolved governments. Officials are 'currently developing plans' for this, and it acknowledges the extension will place 'additional strain' on departments and local authorities.
• It accepts the recommendation on data collection, says the evidence available is 'limited', and will hold the next Covenant conference in July 2025. On departmental reporting it will 'engage with OGDs to consider how best they can report'.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error