House of Commons Welsh Affairs Committee Support for Armed Forces Veterans in Wales Second Report of Session 2012–13 Volume I Volume I: Report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence Additional written evidence is contained in Volume II, available on the Committee website at www.parliament.uk/welshcom Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 5 February 2013 HC 131 Incorporating HC 1812-i-ii, Session 2010-12 Published on 12 February 2013 by authority of the House of Commons London: The Stationery Office Limited £20.00 The Welsh Affairs Committee The Welsh Affairs Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales (including relations with the National Assembly for Wales). Current membership David T.C. Davies MP (Conservative, Monmouth) (Chair) Guto Bebb MP (Conservative, Aberconwy) Geraint Davies MP (Labour, Swansea West) Glyn Davies MP (Conservative, Montgomeryshire) Stephen Doughty MP (Labour, Cardiff South and Penarth) Jonathan Edwards MP (Plaid Cymru, Carmarthen East and Dinefwr) Nia Griffith MP (Labour, Llanelli) Simon Hart MP (Conservative, Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire) Mrs Siân C. James MP (Labour, Swansea East) Karen Lumley MP (Conservative, Redditch) Jessica Morden MP (Labour, Newport East) Mr Mark Williams MP (Liberal Democrat, Ceredigion) The following Members were also members of the Committee during this Parliament Stuart Andrews MP (Conservative, Pudsey) Alun Cairns MP (Conservative, Vale of Glamorgan) Susan Elan Jones MP (Labour, Clwyd South) Owen Smith MP (Labour, Pontypridd) Robin Walker MP (Conservative, Worcester) Powers The Committee is one of the departmental select committees, the powers of which are set out in House of Commons Standing Orders, principally in SO No 152. These are available on the internet via www.parliament.uk Publications The Reports and evidence of the Committee are published by The Stationery Office by Order of the House. All publications of the Committee (including press notices) are on the internet at www.parliament.uk/welshcom The Reports of the Committee, the formal minutes relating to that report, oral evidence taken and some or all written evidence are available in printed volumes. Additional written evidence is published on the internet only. Committee staff The current staff of the Committee is Marek Kubala (Clerk), Anwen Rees (Committee Specialist), Lori Inglis Hall (Senior Committee Assistant), Dabinder Rai (Committee Assistant), and Jessica Bridges-Palmer (Media Officer). Contacts All correspondence should be addressed to the Clerk of the Welsh Affairs Committee, House of Commons, 7 Millbank, London SW1P 3JA. The telephone number for general enquiries is 020 7219 3264; and the Committee’s email address is [email protected] Support for Armed Forces Veterans in Wales 1 Contents Report Page Summary 3 1 Introduction 5 UK policy framework 5 Our inquiry 6 2 Resettlement Provision 8 Ministry of Defence Resettlement provision 8 Personal Financial Education 9 Trauma risk management 9 Reservists 10 3 Assisting veterans in civilian life 12 Access to information 12 Housing 13 Disabled Facilities Grant 15 Veterans Data 16 4 Care under the NHS 18 Transfer of medical records 18 Priority Access to Treatment 19 Mental health care 20 All Wales Veterans’ Health and Wellbeing Service 21 Mental Health residential rehabilitation facility 22 5 Improving co-ordination, communication and clarity 24 Ministry of Defence: structure and communication 24 Welsh Government co-ordination 25 Community Covenants 26 6 Role of Charities 28 Charitable donations 28 Number of charities 28 Charities offering medical treatment 29 7 Conclusion 31 Conclusions and Recommendations 32 Formal Minutes 36 Witnesses 37 List of printed written evidence 38 2 Support for Armed Forces Veterans in Wales List of additional written evidence 39 List of Reports from the Committee during the current Parliament 40 Support for Armed Forces Veterans in Wales 3 Summary There are currently estimated to be more Armed Forces veterans in the UK than at any time since the Second World War. Wales has a long and proud relationship with the Armed Forces and Welsh military personnel have made an enormous contribution to the defence of the United Kingdom and in conflicts around the world. Precise figures are hard to establish but it has been estimated there could be as many as 250,000 Armed Forces veterans in Wales today. This Report examines whether the level of support provided to Armed Forces veterans in Wales—both immediately before they leave the service and once they return to civilian life—is adequate. Our key recommendation is that the Welsh Government take forward proposals to establish a network of ‘one-stop shops’ for veterans across Wales. A great deal of support is available for veterans in Wales, but often a lack of awareness means that support is not taken up. A one-stop shop for veterans would be a convenient way for veterans to access information and receive advice on a range of important issues, such as housing, finances and employment. A similar model has been established in Scotland and we were impressed by its operation. We are aware that a number of local authorities in Wales have already launched or plan to launch Community Covenant Schemes. We urge the Welsh Government to encourage all those local authorities in Wales that have not yet done so, to review their provision for veterans and plan to sign up and support Community Covenants, in partnership with other relevant local organisations such as health boards and housing associations. Some of these Community Covenant Schemes may involve the setting up of the equivalent of a one- stop shop. To avoid duplication, we recommend that the Welsh Government take into account the support launched or planned by local authorities as part of their Community Covenants, should the Welsh Government decide to proceed with a network of one-stop shops across Wales for veterans. The mobility requirements of a career in the Armed Forces can be a real disadvantage for personnel trying to access social housing, because of some local authorities’ requirements for a ‘local connection.’ This is a serious concern and more priority should be given to those who have put their lives on the line for this country. We recommend that local authorities in Wales follow the guidance set out in UK legislation and the Welsh Government’s Code of Practice to ensure that veterans are prioritised in the allocation of social housing. A significant minority of military personnel develop mental health problems after they leave the Armed Forces. The establishment of the All Wales Veterans’ Health and Wellbeing Service (AWVHWS) is a welcome improvement to mental health treatment in Wales. The Welsh Government should ensure that the AWVHWS continues to receive sufficient funding. We welcome the resettlement provision given to members of the Armed Forces by the MoD, which has improved in recent years. But we are concerned that some personnel still do not take up elements of resettlement support due to a lack of awareness of the services 4 Support for Armed Forces Veterans in Wales available. The MoD should ensure that all personnel leaving the services are fully aware of all the resettlement support that they are entitled to. The MoD should consider the provision of more appropriate support to early service leavers, that is, those who have served less than four years. Given the increased dependence on reservists in coming years, the MoD must ensure that reservists are also provided with adequate support to return to civilian life. Charities make a significant contribution to the support of veterans, but we are concerned that many charities in the Armed Forces sector are operating in very similar fields, without proper co-ordination. This can lead to duplication of effort, inefficient administrative costs, and can sometimes be confusing for veterans as to where to seek assistance. There should be better co-ordination of the work done by the many charities operating in this area. In the light of recent court cases which have illustrated the need for vigilance to prevent fraudsters taking advantage of the public’s willingness to give to veterans’ charities there should be much more stringent inspection of charities’ finances. We recommend that the Cabinet Office look into this as a matter of urgency. We are particularly concerned about charities providing treatments for complex psychological issues that do not meet NICE guidelines. The regulation of charities may be insufficiently robust in this area. The Charity Commission should insist that veterans’ charities which offer medical, psychological or counselling services provide documentation from the relevant professional bodies to confirm that they have the appropriate endorsement for the services they offer. We recommend that the Cabinet Office look into this as a matter of urgency. Support for Armed Forces Veterans in Wales 5 1 Introduction 1. The involvement of British personnel in operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere over the last decade has reminded us, once again, of the courage and commitment of our Armed Forces. Partly as a result of these conflicts, the UK currently has more veterans than at any time since the Second World War. More Armed Forces personnel are also surviving injuries which would have been fatal in previous conflicts because of advances in medical treatment. 2. Wales has a long and proud relationship with the Armed Forces. Welsh military personnel have made an enormous contribution to the defence of the United Kingdom and in conflicts around the world, and continue to do so today. Precise figures are hard to establish but it has been estimated that there are about 250,000 veterans in Wales. The Welsh Government, however, believes that this figure represents all members of the “Armed Forces community in Wales”, which includes serving personnel, reservists and cadets, as well as their families and veterans.1 UK policy framework 3.