§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many D-Day veterans benifited from Lottery and Government money to revisit the beaches. [179515]
§ Estelle MorrisThe National Lottery Veterans Reunited initiative includes the Heroes Return scheme, which provides Lottery funding to help Second World War veterans arrange commemorative visits to the overseas areas where British Armed Forces served in the Second World War. Through Heroes Return, over £1.9 million has already been awarded to veterans, their wives and husbands, widows and widowers and, where required, their present day carers, to return to the overseas areas where the veterans saw active service. Of the funding awarded so far, £1.2 million has been awarded for visits to Normandy. The funding has enabled over 4,200 people, including over 2,100 veterans, to travel to Normandy this month.
§ Mr. Boris JohnsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assistance her Department provided to the D-day 60th Anniversary events and commemorations. [179183]
§ Estelle MorrisThe Department did not assist directly in the commemorations, but funding has been made available through the National Lottery Veterans Reunited initiative to ensure that all generations of UK residents can commemorate the momentous events that led to the end of the Second World War. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State first announced our intention to provide Lottery support in this area last October.
The Veterans Reunited initiative has three strands: Their Past, Your Future, focusing on activities for schools and young people; Heroes Return, focusing on overseas visits for veterans and their carers; and Home Front Recall, providing funding for events and activities in the UK. The initiative has an overall budget of over £25 million and will continue making awards until the end of 2005.
Through Heroes Return, over. £1.9 million has already been awarded to veterans, their wives and husbands, widows and widowers and, where required, their present day carers, to return to the overseas areas where the veterans saw active service. Of the funding awarded so far, £1.2 million has been awarded for visits to Normandy. The funding has enabled over 4,200 people, including over 2,100 veterans, to travel to Normandy this month.
One of the elements of Their Past, Your Future was a competition with opportunities for schools to win visits to the D-Day commemorations. The first prize winners were Abbey Grange School in Leeds and a party of pupils and teachers joined the official 60th anniversary cruise and commemorations. Further visits are planned for schools later in the year to commemorate other major events such as Arnhem.
1186WHome Front Recall was the most recent element of the Veterans Reunited programme to be launched. One of the first awards to be made was to allow the Rotherham branch of Normandy veterans to travel to Portsmouth for the official D-Day commemorations.