§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Ivor Caplin)The Ministry of Defence is announcing today that it plans to allocate up to £2 million for veterans' projects over the next 3 years.
The new Challenge Fund will be used in co-operation with partners in the ex-Service organisations, Non Government Organisations and public sector to pump-prime new projects or research or buy into existing activities in order to give them a veterans-related dimension.
The Government want this fund to be used to help address the identifiable gaps in existing activity or knowledge that will need to be filled if we are to deliver the agreed Strategy for Veterans. The Strategy for Veterans identifies 3 key areas for further work: ensuring that as many Service personnel as possible make the transition from Service to civilian life successfully, that those who do not make a successful transition receive appropriate support, and that the contribution of the Services and veterans to national and international security is properly understood in wider society. The Government would like the Fund to be used to support a few projects in each area.
15WSFive hundred thousand pounds has been made available for the remainder of this Financial Year and up to £750,000 is planned for each of the next two Financial Years. Arrangements for the longer term will depend on the success of the Fund over this initial three-year period.