Veterans (Hansard, 28 March 2001)

§ Mr. Key
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the members of the(a) Veterans Forum and (b) Veterans Task Force. [155319]
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§ Dr. Moonie
We will not take a final decision on the membership of the Veterans Forum and the Veterans Task Force until their shape, role and agenda have been discussed in more detail with the range of interested parties, including the main veterans' representative groups. However, we currently expect the Task Force, under my own Chairmanship to include Ministers from the Department of Health, the Department of Social Security, the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, and the Department for Employment and Education, as well as the relevant Scottish and Welsh Departments, the Northern Ireland Office, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Lord Chancellor's Department. I will also chair the Veterans Forum which will include members from the major veterans' representative groups. We will ensure that the smaller representative groups are able to present their views and concerns to the Forum.

§ Mr. Key
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what(a) new money and (b) new manpower his Department has allocated to the handling of veterans affairs. [155320]

§ Dr. Moonie
The Veterans initiative will be supported by three new executive staff, together with the budget and support staff required for their effective working. We cannot at this stage predict what new measures might come out of the work of the Veterans Task Force and Forum. We will be commissioning early research into veterans issues and their handling, in addition to that already planned within current departmental programmes. The funding of new measures will be addressed as they are identified.

§ Mr. Key
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons responsibility for veterans affairs has been reduced from Minister of State to Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State level. [155327]

§ Dr. Moonie
The appointment of a designated Veterans Minister, with responsibility across Government Departments for ensuring that veterans' concerns are understood and addressed in a holistic manner, represents a clear enhancement rather than a reduction in commitment. This change, together with the establishment of a dedicated Ministerial Task Force, reflects the Government's determination that veterans' issues should be handled in a co-ordinated way to ensure a properly integrated approach to veterans and their concerns.