§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what support the Government are giving to voluntary organisations that help ex-servicemen. [66363]
§ Mr. IngramIn keeping with the practice that central Government do not provide funding in direct support of charities' core activities, the Ministry of Defence does not provide any direct financial support to the ex-Service voluntary organisations as they are independent ofgovernment and responsible for raising their own funding through private donations.
Nevertheless, the MOD does provide annual Grants-in-Aid to The Royal British Legion's Benevolent Department to assist with the welfare they provide to distressed Polish ex-Servicemen and also to Remembrance Travel, the Pilgrimage Department of The Royal British Legion. This money is used to fund the War Widows Pilgrimage Scheme which enables Service widows to visit the graves of their husbands who were buried overseas between 1914 and 1967. Finally, a 328W Grant-in-Aid is given to the Victoria Cross and George Cross Association every two years to assist with the travel costs associated with their biennial reunion.