Service Personnel Command Paper "off to a good start" says Legion
19 November 2009
A series of commitments to improve conditions for the Armed Forces community is "off to a good start", said The Royal British Legion on the first anniversary of the Service Personnel Command Paper.
"There's still much to be done at the coal face, but it's off to a good start," said the Legion's Director General Chris Simpkins, one of the members of a scrutiny group tasked with monitoring the government's delivery against commitments.
"Improvements to welfare support for the Armed Forces, their families and veterans have shown a promising beginning in the first year since the Command Paper's release," he added. "One-third of the commitments have been delivered, another third will be delivered within a year, and the remainder have progress underway."
However, he cautioned that much more needs to be done in raising awareness of the improvements, in particular amongst Armed Forces personnel and services providers, and in measuring results. Further work is also required broadly in the areas of healthcare and support for the bereaved.
The Command Paper was published in July 2008 and sets forth more than 40 commitments to improve conditions for the Armed Forces community in areas such as compensation, healthcare and housing, under the guiding principle that they should not be disadvantaged by their Service.
The Royal British Legion sits on an external reference group, alongside other Service charities and government departments, which monitors delivery and reports annually to the Prime Minister. It released its first report today.
"We mustn't lose sight of the importance of having a series of written commitments and an oversight group," said Mr Simpkins. "Neither of these existed prior to the Legion's campaign to Honour the Covenant, and this role will be its lasting legacy."
He also noted the Legion has taken an active part in the Green Paper consultation on the nation's enduring support to the Armed Forces community, with emphasis on the need to consider the Armed Forces in policy formulation and social service delivery. As well, the Legion has submitted a lengthy response to the review of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, where it takes a role in an independent scrutiny group chaired by Admiral the Lord Boyce.
"It's a very busy time for the Legion – and indeed, for many Service charities - but we're making progress on many fronts," said Mr Simpkins.
The Command Paper report highlights achievements over the past year, including the doubling of compensation payments for the most serious injuries; improved access to affordable housing schemes; the retention of places on NHS waiting lists when families move; access to substantial grants to adapt homes for disabled veterans; and free further education for those leaving the Services.
Notes to Editors:
- The Service Personnel Command Paper was published on 17 July 2008. For more information visit www.mod.uk/spcp
- The paper - "The Nation's Commitment: Cross-Government Support to our Armed Forces, their Families and Veterans" – represented the first strategy for the Armed Forces Community covering all the relevant Whitehall Departments, and set the standard for the level and scope of support our Service personnel could expect.
A related consultation paper on 'Consistent and Enduring Support' was published on 16 July 2009 seeking to ensure that the principles of "The Nation's Commitment" will be put into practice across all levels of Government. The consultation period closed at the end of October, and the Government will report on it in the new year.
- The members of the External Reference Group from outside Government are the Naval Families Federation, the Army Families Federation, the RAF Families Federation, the Confederation of British Service and Ex-Service Organisations (COBSEO), The Royal British Legion, the Soldiers Sailors Airman and Families Association – Forces Help, the War Widows' Association of Great Britain, and Professor Hew Strachan of Oxford University. The Government members include the key Whitehall Departments, the Scottish Executive and the Welsh Assembly Government.
- For more information on the Command Paper report contact Lucy Bowen in the MoD Press Office on 020 7218 9900 or 020 7218 7907.
For more information on The Royal British Legion's involvement contact Robert Lee, Head of Media and Campaigns, T: 020 3207 2235 M: 07798 654 071 E: rlee@britishlegion.org.uk
