Defence Select Committee: Armed Forces Covenant

This week, the Defence Select Committee heard from Minister Alistair Carns regarding upcoming changes to the Armed Forces Covenant. The Covenant's duty of due regard is being extended to UK Government departments and Devolved Governments - a significant and welcome change.

However, for this extension to be meaningful rather than merely nominal, extensive preparation is crucial. Currently, the Covenant's implementation has produced mixed results. While some service members and families have benefited, in other cases, the promise the Covenant represents has gone unfulfilled. For instance:

• The Treasury fails our service families by not considering the impact of service on Stamp Duty rules.

  
  

• The Department for Education overlooks the effects of relocations between local authorities and devolved administrations on the EHCP system.

  
  

• The Home Office disadvantages non-UK service families by imposing an immigration status during service that restricts access to work or benefits.

I questioned the Minister on how they plan to ensure all government departments align with the Covenant from the outset. This expansion presents an opportunity to address these inconsistencies and truly honour our commitment to the Armed Forces community.