Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to protect serving and former members of the armed forces from discrimination in obtaining goods and services.

Mark Lancaster

The Government is fully committed to eliminating discrimination against Service personnel which is why we enshrined our commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant into law. One of the core principles of the Covenant is that Service personnel should not suffer disadvantage as a result of their membership, or former membership, of the Armed Forces. The Covenant exists to redress the disadvantages that the Armed Forces community may face in comparison to other citizens.

Every Local Authority in mainland Great Britain, and two in Northern Ireland, have signed the Armed Forces Covenant which encourages local communities to support the Armed Forces in their area and promote public understanding and awareness. Additionally, over 930 organisations have now signed a Corporate Pledge to the Armed Forces Covenant, demonstrating their support for the Armed Forces Community.

Examples of steps being taken include developing shadow postcodes for British Forces Post Office (BFPO) addresses so that Service personnel can access online goods and services and launching the Defence Discount Service which offers a privilege card entitling members of the Armed Forces and their families to a range of discounts on goods and services.

Information on benefits and concessions available to the Armed Forces and veterans can be found at the following address:

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/armed-forces-and-veterans/benefits-and-concessions-for-the-armed-forces-veterans-and-their-families/