Service
personnel and their families are being asked their views on how the Government provides healthcare, childcare, housing and other services to the Armed Forces. This consultation exercise is a product of the cross-Government Command Paper, launched in November 2007, which is to review the current level of support given to serving personnel, their families and veterans and to come up with a co-ordinated strategy to improve that support.
The Service Personnel Command Paper consultation covers all areas of support and welfare provided to Service personnel, families and veterans, including......
- Accommodation: the upgrade programme for both single living and family accommodation; Local Connection legislation; Home Ownership; Key Worker schemes.
- Education: education within service, including skills for life and career transition; children’s education – schools admissions, educational attainment, special educational needs; access to education for partners.
- Medical care: primary and secondary healthcare: military ward at Birmingham and Headley Court improvements; accommodation for patients’ families; mental healthcare; medical care for reservists; priority healthcare for veterans; overseas healthcare; access to waiting lists and specialist treatment; access to NHS dentistry for families.
- Families: careers for partners; support for families while partners/spouses on operations and overseas.
- Veterans and widows welfare: compensation; pensions; care for disabled service personnel (e.g. adapted housing, disabled mobility and carer support); access to state benefits.
- Boards of Inquiry/Inquests: support to families; Coroners’ Bill and inquest process;
- Pay and allowances: emerging outcomes from the Strategic Remuneration Review.
- Recruitment and retention: current trends and future challenges
- Training: Defence Training Rationalisation project and progress made in addressing the DHALI/Blake initiatives.
- Commonwealth Soldiers/Gurkhas: naturalisation; family welfare and education.
Comments can be made online or in writing to Service Personnel Command Paper, Zone M, 7th Floor, MOD Main Building, Whitehall, London SW1A 2HB.
Link> MoD: Service Personnel Command Paper
Link> MoD: Contribute or enquire about the Service Personnel Command Paper
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