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Armed Forces Covenant and Veterans Board schedules first meeting

Published on: 17 Oct 2017

A new cross-government Armed Forces Covenant and Veterans Board will meet for the first time on October 26th.

Co-chaired by defence secretary Sir Michael Fallon and first secretary of state Damian Green, the board will meet every six months to underline the government’s enduring commitment to the Armed Forces community.

It will attempt to drive forward the existing Armed Forces Covenant commitments community across all government departments responsible for delivery, with a specific focus on the priority areas of healthcare, including mental health. Housing, education, and employment opportunities will also be covered.

Additionally, the defence secretary and the first secretary of state will meet separately with leading service charities and the single service family federations to discuss the covenant on an annual basis.

This will ensure the views of the wider Armed Forces Community are represented in government decisions.

Government initiatives delivered to date through the Armed Forces Covenant include the Forces Help to Buy scheme (MOD), which has allowed thousands of Armed Forces personnel and their families to borrow up to half their salary to get on the housing ladder.