Bond between nation and armed forces to be enshrined in law after government U-turn
Ministers are poised to set out details of how the "military covenant" will be enshrined in law after David Cameron admitted the government had performed a U-turn on the issue after months of pressure from campaigners.
Liam Fox, the defence secretary, will on Monday tell parliament how the covenant, the bond between a nation and its armed forces, will be put on statute, spelling out the broad rights and privileges military personnel will be entitled to.
In February, Fox ruled out codifying the covenant within the armed forces bill, enraging the Royal British Legion which accused the prime minister of reneging on a promise he made last year.
Cameron has now confirmed that the covenant will, after all, be included in a bill that has faced mounting criticism from Labour and Tory MPs.
The prime minister used an article in the News of the World to explain the U-turn: "The high esteem we all have for our armed forces will soon be given the recognition it deserves – as part of the law of the land.
"I'm keeping my word. We owe them. If we are asking our armed forces to do dangerous jobs in places like Afghanistan and Iraq, we have to ensure that we are doing everything we can for them in return.
"The historic agreement we have reached means that, for the first time, the value we place on those brave men and women who put their lives on the line will be written down for all to see."
The covenant will apply to personnel from all three services and is expected to set out rights to healthcare, housing and education for forces children.
Fox is expected to announce a doubling of the rate of council tax relief to 50% for those serving overseas and a £3m fund for schools with high numbers of children from forces family.
The government will also promise commitments to care for injured veterans who need prosthetic limbs and give personnel better access to cut-price public transport.
Action will be promised to improve military inquests – which have been heavily criticised by families for compounding their grief. Veterans who have suffered genital injuries will be given access to IVF treatment, either privately or through the NHS.
It is estimated the entire package will cost the Treasury £45m a year.
Earlier this year the government had said it would only present an annual report to parliament on the state of the covenant.
This infuriated the armed forces and raised concerns that ministers were afraid of being sued if the covenant was a legal document.
It also left the rime minister open to ridicule and accusations of breaking a promise. Last June, he made a speech on the aircraft carrier Ark Royal in which he vowed to enshrine the covenant in law.
The Royal British Legion, which has been in talks with the prime minister in recent weeks, said Monday's announcement would mark "an historic breakthrough" which would benefit servicemen and their families "for generations to come".
Its director general, Chris Simpkins, said it would also help parliament to scrutinise the treatment of the armed forces and their families.
"We are particularly pleased that the unique nature of service will now be acknowledged in the bill, together with the principle that no disadvantage should arise from service – real issues for members of the armed forces.
"This is an impressive package of support, but even more impressive is the irrevocable legacy of at last getting the principles of the armed forces covenant written into law. This is a major step forward for the whole armed forces community."
The shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy said the government's change of heart had been forced upon ministers because the armed forces bill faced "inevitable defeat" in parliament.
"The prime minister appears to have finally done the right thing. I hope this marks the beginnings of a real reassessment of how the government is treating our armed forces," he said.
Angelique Chrisafis, Kim Willsher 15 May, 2011
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Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/may/15/military-covenant-put-on-statute
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