New legal duty to require local bodies to consider how decision-making impacts members of Armed Forces community

Councils, NHS trusts and other local bodies will be required to consider how their decision-making impacts upon members of the Armed Forces community, under a new duty introduced last week (22 November).

The Ministry of Defence said the new legal duty reflects the key values of the Armed Forces Covenant.

The services covered include healthcare, housing and education.

"For example, schools should consider if a parent is a member of the Forces community and give due consideration to their requirement for flexible leave depending upon the requirements of their military career," the MoD said.

Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families, Dr Andrew Murrison, said: “Armed Forces men and women do extraordinary things and put themselves in the way of danger. We must always do the right thing by them and their families.

“Today we build on progress over the past ten years in mainstreaming the Armed Forces Covenant, increasing its legal strength and obliging service providers to make it work.”

The Covenant has existed for more than a decade, has nearly 10,000 signatories, and helps ensure a wide range of support for those who serve their country.

The new duty was included in the Armed Forces Bill of 2021.

In addition to personnel and veterans living in England, the duty will also apply to those in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, “ensuring that all are supported and face no disadvantage, wherever they choose to live”, the Ministry of Defence noted.

Lottie Winson