§ Mr. Barnes:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what funding is available to support Northern Ireland veterans. [142734]
§ Mr. Caplin:There is no Ministry of Defence funding specifically for Northern Ireland veterans. MOD funds programmes aimed at preventing Service leavers, which would include those who have served in Northern Ireland, falling into social exclusion and homelessness such as the Single Persons Accommodation Centre for Ex-Services in Catterick, the Armed Forces Project in Colchester and the Joint Services Housing Advice Office. MOD also contributes towards Project Compass, a partnership project in London aimed at assisting homeless veterans back into employment.
§ Mr. Barnes:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Northern Ireland veterans he estimates are homeless. [142743]
§ Mr. Caplin:The number of homeless veterans who have served in Northern Ireland is not known at present. In January 2004, the Ministry of Defence and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are planning to begin a study into the extent, causes, impact and costs of homelessness and rough sleeping among ex-Service personnel in England. As part of this study, homeless veterans will be asked about their Service background and operational experience which will include Service in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. Barnes:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Northern Ireland veterans are serving prison sentences. [142744]
§ Mr. Caplin:There are no routine statistics of this kind collected on veterans who have either served in Northern Ireland or who live there. The Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate survey, carried out in December 2001 in 76 prisons around the United Kingdom, found that 5.6 per cent. of prisoners were veterans of the armed forces, of which 11 per cent. had been in the Royal Navy, 4 per cent. were in the Royal Air Force and 85 per cent. were in the Army.