Berwick’s MP, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, won praise from new Prime Minister Theresa May, for her work on the Armed Forces Covenant during yesterday’s session of Prime Minister’s Questions. Mrs Trevelyan chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on the Armed Forces Covenant, the nation’s commitment to ensure armed forces personnel, veterans and their families face no disadvantage for their service.
Mrs Trevelyan’s constituency contains RAF Boulmer with a wide network of personnel and their families, and is also home to a large number of veterans who often face challenges in accessing the services they need.
Anne-Marie took the opportunity to ask the Prime Minister to place on the record her support for the Covenant:
“The Prime Minister will be aware that our nation’s commitment to our current and former armed forces personnel and their families by way of the armed forces covenant is a work in progress, and that although we have made important moves there is still much more to do. Will she take this opportunity to assure this House of her personal commitment to the values and promises set out in the covenant, and to pledge to lend her support to efforts to continue the good work begun, and to ensure that personnel, veterans and their families face no disadvantage arising from their service and the sacrifice they have all made for our country?”
The Prime Minister replied by confirming her commitment to the Covenant, and highlighting the work done by Anne-Marie and her colleagues:
“My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and I know she has championed the armed forces covenant and is a great proponent of our veterans and the armed forces. It is absolutely right to say that everybody in this House owes a great debt of gratitude to our veterans and to those serving today in our armed forces for what they do to keep us safe and secure. That is why it is so important that the covenant is not just a responsibility for the Government, but a national responsibility; we should all be working to ensure that those who have served us, and served us well, do not face disadvantages. That is why we have been doing things such as putting money into a forces Help to Buy scheme to help them with houses—I believe the figure is £200 million. We must continue to do this, and I absolutely commit to ensuring that this is a Government who continue to support our veterans and the members of our armed forces.”
You can see the video of the exchange by clicking HERE and watching from 12:21pm.
