It is vital to reward and recognise what our Armed Forces do for us.
This recognition extends not just to those in the Services but also their families and veterans, and especially the injured and the bereaved.
The first Armed Forces Covenant Annual Report was published on Thursday 6th December 2012.
It explains what's been done since the interim report last year, and what we plan to do to address the disadvantages that remain.
The Covenant sets out the relationship between the Nation, the State and the Armed Forces. It recognises that the whole nation has a moral obligation to members of the Armed Forces and their families, and it establishes how they should expect to be treated. It exists to redress the disadvantages that the Armed Forces community faces in comparison to other citizens, and to recognise sacrifices made. In some cases this will require special consideration, especially for those who have given the most such as the injured and the bereaved. Since the Armed Forces Covenant was published in May 2011, the Government and our partner charities and voluntary organisations have been very busy. We’ve delivered on a number of commitments, introduced the Community Covenant (with a £30m grant scheme to support it) and produced the first statutory annual report on our progress and on where disadvantages remain. The principle behind the Covenant is that the Armed Forces Community should not face disadvantage because of its military experience. In some cases, such as the sick, injured or bereaved, this means giving special consideration to enable access to public or commercial services that civilians wouldn’t receive. The Covenant covers issues from housing and education to support after Service. It is crucial to the Government that it, and the nation, recognises the unique and immense sacrifices the Armed Forces Community makes.
The report can be downloaded as a .pdf file on the left
