Afghanistan (Armed Forces Families)
Oral Answers to Questions — Northern Ireland
11:30 am
David Simpson (Upper Bann, DUP)
What practical support she can give to the families from Northern Ireland of those (a) serving in and (b) who have returned from Afghanistan.
Michael Penning (Hemel Hempstead, Conservative)
I pay tribute to our brave armed forces who have served with such distinction in Afghanistan and other parts of the world. The MOD Service Personnel
and Veterans Agency and many other service charities provide support and services to our 900,000-strong armed forces community and to their families.
David Simpson (Upper Bann, DUP)
I thank the Minister for his comments. Will he agree to meet a group of families in my constituency who have loved ones serving in Afghanistan, so that they can raise some of the practical issues themselves?
Michael Penning (Hemel Hempstead, Conservative)
It will be a pleasure and an honour to meet the families in the hon. Gentleman’s constituency. We are working very closely with the brigadier and his staff at 38 (Irish) Brigade to ensure that concerns are addressed.
Stephen Pound (Ealing North, Labour)
Members on both sides of the House welcome the community covenant, which is a long-overdue recognition of the heroic sacrifice of our armed forces. Have the Secretary of State or the Minister given thought to naming an individual contact point for returning veterans—perhaps a community covenant champion, bearing it in mind that the Minister of State already has rather a busy job?
Michael Penning (Hemel Hempstead, Conservative)
I thank the hon. Gentleman, and my friend, for his comments. I have a very busy and a very important job, but correctly looking after those who have served their country, which the military covenant was designed to do, is exactly what I intend to do. I sit on the Prime Minister’s military covenant committee. When I was asked that question in the military covenant debate, I committed to having a round-table discussion on how we better help our servicemen and women when they leave the armed forces in Northern Ireland.
John Bercow (Speaker)
I have known the Minister of State for 20 years, and I have never regarded him as softly spoken. May I exhort him to speak up a bit?