Highlighted Defence coverage includes a documentary on identifying British personnel killed in historic campaigns, as well as reporting of the Defence Secretary's announcement on extending the Forces Help to Buy scheme.
World War One documentary
A special episode of ITV series Long Lost Family last night featured the work of the Ministry of Defence's Joint Casualty and Compassion Centre and its ability to identify remains of soldiers from the Great War. The documentary had unprecedented access to the MOD's War Detectives, an elite team who use state of the art forensics and ground-breaking technology to identify the bodies of unknown British and Commonwealth soldiers.
The War Detectives work tirelessly to identify lost soldiers and provide answers for their families.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:
It is great to see the work of such an important part of the Ministry of Defence showcased to the general public. Their work allows new generations of families and military the opportunity to pay their respects. We must always do our utmost to honour those who give their lives in the service of their country – whether today or 100 years ago.
Forces Help to Buy scheme
There is coverage in The Sun today of the Defence Secretary's announcement that the Forces Help to Buy scheme, which helps military personnel get on the housing ladder, has been extended until the end of 2022.
The Forces Help to Buy scheme has lent over £280 million to over 18,000 armed forces applicants since its introduction in 2014, and allows military personnel to borrow a deposit of up to half of their annual salary, interest free, to contribute towards buying a home, building an extension on their current one or moving to another property.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:
The extension of this scheme demonstrates the value we put on our Armed Forces and means service personnel can continue to realise the ambition of owning their own home or borrowing to extend.
It has already proven very popular amongst the Armed Forces community and by extending it further we will be able to help many more service personnel make those first steps on the property ladder or expand their home to fit their family.
Minister for Defence People and Veterans Johnny Mercer said:
The extension of the Forces Help to Buy Scheme is fantastic news for all those wanting to take that first step on to the property ladder.
The Scheme helps to provide stability for our Armed Forces personnel and families, as a thank you for their commitment to their service for this country.
Read more on the Forces Help to Buy scheme extension here.
SSAFA report
The Daily Star today reports on a report published by Armed Forces charity SSAFA on the perceptions of veterans. In the report, it is claimed that veterans may struggle to find work in civilian life because of misperceptions around mental health.
Minister for Defence People and Veterans Johnny Mercer said:
Veterans make a huge contribution to society and it’s wrong that any business should worry about employing them.
I welcome SSAFA’s efforts to help provide the facts around veterans and ensure that former personnel are not unfairly stigmatised.
The new Office for Veterans’ Affairs will also work to improve the perception of veterans.
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