§ Mr. Peter DuncanTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how much has been allocated from the New Opportunities Fund to fund travel expenses of ex-servicemen and women wanting to travel to remembrance services in each year since its introduction; [158968]
(2) for how long the New Opportunities Fund has provided travel expenses to ex-servicemen and women wanting to attend remembrance services in (a) the UK and (b) Europe; [158969]
(3) if she will make a statement on the provision of financial aid through the New Opportunities Fund to help ex-servicemen and women travel to remembrance services; [158971]
(4) what criteria were used when deciding whether individual servicemen and women are entitled to benefit from the funding of their travel expenses to remembrance services by the New Opportunities Fund; [158973]
(5) how many servicemen and women have benefited from the funding of travel expenses to remembrance services by the New Opportunities Fund in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [158974]
§ Estelle MorrisThe New Opportunities Fund launched its Heroes Return scheme on 9 February 2004. This scheme is providing £10 million funding for Second World War veterans their wives or husbands, widows or widowers, and, where required., carers to visit the overseas areas where the veterans saw active service. The main criterion is that ex-servicemen and women saw active service with or alongside the British Armed Forces in the Second World War. Further details on the Heroes Return can be obtained from the Veterans Agency on 0800 169 2277.
A second scheme, Home Front Recall, will be launched later in the spring. This will provide funding projects and events in the UK for veterans and others within the broader community to commemorate the events leading to the end of the Second World War. More details of how this scheme will operate will be available when it is launched.
The New Opportunities Fund has not previously operated a scheme in relation to veterans, but the National Lottery as a whole has provided over £3 million of funding to veterans and veterans organisations since 1995.
§ Mr. Peter DuncanTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether ex-servicemen and women from(a) Scotland, (b) Northern Ireland, (c) Wales and (d) England are entitled to equal 1303W financial aid through the New Opportunities Fund to travel to remembrance services in (i) the UK and (ii) Europe. [158970]
§ Estelle MorrisOn (i), the New Opportunities Fund will shortly be launching its Home Front Recall scheme, which will fund the costs of commemorative projects and events in the UK to mark the events that led to the end of the second world war. Details of the application process for grants will be announced when the scheme is launched later in the spring, but it will be a UK-wide scheme providing funding in all four UK countries.
On (ii), the New Opportunities Fund launched its Heroes Return scheme in February 2004. This scheme provides funding for second world war veterans, their wives or husbands, widows or widowers, and, where required, carers to visit the areas in Europe (and, indeed, other parts of the world) where the veterans saw active service. It is a UK-wide scheme and veterans from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England are entitled to equal financial assistance.
§ Mr. Peter DuncanTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she received from ex-servicemen and women during the creation of the initiative by the New Opportunities Fund to fund their travel expenses to remembrance services. [158972]
§ Estelle MorrisThe New Opportunities Fund (NOF), as part of its role in developing the Heroes Return scheme, has discussed the scheme widely with veterans and veterans' organisations. In particular, the fund has worked closely with the Confederation of British Service and Ex-service Organisations (COBSEO), which is the representative body for the UK's veterans' organisations, since the Heroes Return scheme was first proposed. In addition, the fund has arranged meetings with many of the major veterans organisations, such as the Royal British Legion. COBSEO and NOF are currently running seminars across the UK to explain the nature of the Heroes Return scheme directly to a large number of veterans' organizations