Dame Caroline Dinenage, Member of Parliament for Gosport, has today [Thursday 25 July] asked the Cabinet Secretary why the Labour Party has downgraded the Veterans Minister role.
Under the previous Conservative Government, a Minister for Veterans Affairs (Johnny Mercer) attended Cabinet, meaning that veterans voices were heard at the very centre of Government, with a pledge to make Britain the best country in the world to be a veteran driven across Departments. The Minister for Veterans Affairs would appear for Oral Questions alongside colleagues in the Cabinet Office.
The success of this approach was clear, with no veteran homeless due to lack of provision over Christmas 2023 and a record level of veteran employment.
Since entering Government, Labour has downgraded the role of Veterans Minister, with brand new MP, Alistair Carns acting as Minister for Veterans and People in the Ministry of Defence. He will not attend Cabinet, the committee of senior Government Ministers responsible for directing Government policy.
Help for Heroes, a charity that provides support to veterans in the UK, has said that it was ‘disappointed’ by the decision not to have a dedicated Veterans Minister attending Cabinet.
Speaking at Cabinet Office Oral Questions, Caroline asked Culture Secretary Pat McFadden:
“On behalf of the 12% of people in my constituency who have served in the armed forces, I ask the Cabinet Secretary to explain why he is not joined by a Veterans Minister on the Front Bench this morning.”
Cabinet Secretary Pat McFadden responded:
“That is because responsibility for veterans is being transferred to the Ministry of Defence, which is a better home for it. Looking after our veterans will be a big priority in the Ministry of Defence.”
Speaking afterwards Caroline said:
“I am deeply concerned about the downgrading of the Veterans Minister role. Veterans’ issues are not limited to the responsibilities of the Ministry of Defence, they concern everything from health and housing to employment and benefits. They need a cross-government approach to address them.”
Caroline’s contribution is available to view and download at: https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/413e82e0-41bb-456a-9796-b95fbdfc534c?in=10:33:46