2nd Special Report - Armed Forces Covenant Annual Report 2016

This is the government's response, published 15 September 2017.

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

The Government's response to the Committee's Armed Forces Covenant report agrees with some recommendations, declines others with stated reasons, and commits to provide updates in the 2017 Covenant Annual Report.

• On the Inter-Ministerial Group, the Government "notes" the recommendation for four meetings a year and consideration of Cabinet Sub-Committee status; meeting frequency and status "will be the subject of discussion" at its inaugural meeting, with an update to follow.
• On mental health targets, the MOD says it "cannot impose specific targets on the NHS" because veterans' healthcare is provided by the NHS, not the MOD, and it has "no current plans" to extend the six-month referral period.
• On tribunals, the Government considers panel composition should be decided by the judiciary and that Service-specific guidance to the Senior President of Tribunals is "unnecessary".
• On the Corporate Covenant, the Government prefers a "light-touch approach" to a formal compliance regime, and says it "will consider" whether the requirement for suppliers to sign the Covenant "should be strengthened".

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