Rare good UK Government idea: on honouring military covenant
published this on 11:56 am, Monday, 21st December, 2009Community News| defence | Comments (rss) | Respond | Ping |
Was this Bob Ainsworth’s finest moment? In a recent and poorly reported initiative, the much ridiculed (with reason) UK Defence Secretary announced the introduction of a series of measures to support military personnel in health, society and careers.
NHS Trusts, Education Authorities and Local Authorities will be asked – and will be liable to prosecution if they fail – to give priority to the needs of members of the Armed Forces, veterans and service families.
So healthcare, school places and social housing will be fast tracked for those who, for the common good, live and die far beyond the limits of experience of the rest of us.
The Defence Secretary has said that he wants to give these rights legal weight.
His announcement comes as the Lib Dems – and Nick Clegg has had some impressive scores lately on major issues – revealed the results of a survey the had carried out into the Government’s existing scheme. They found that 80% of NHS Trusts in England had no idea whether or not they had treated ex-service personnel, giving veterans priority treatment where they are suffering ill-health as a consequence of military service.
The Defence Secretary’s proposals do not add up to the full picture needed to make the Military Covenent the debt of honour it must be, from the nation to those who serve it with their lives, limbs and minds.
They make no reference to theatre of war and battlefield support, addressing the culpable failures that the nation has witnessed in the conduct of the ill-born and ill-fated wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
However, giving legal weight to the privileges he has identified and imposing real penalties for non-compliance, combine to start recovering the profundity of responsibility enshrined in the Military Covenant.
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December 24th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
As a former member of the forces with 13 years service, I had hoped that my years of service would have been taken into account when I started work in another Government body, and same line of work…….but it was not. Is this reasonable or un-reasonable to expect, that my Military service was recognised in this way ?.