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Written question asked by Andrew Gwynne (Labour) on Friday, 28 August 2020, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 3 September 2020 (named day). It was answered by James Heappey (Conservative) on Thursday, 3 September 2020 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.


Veterans: Identity Cards

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress the Government has made on implementing Phase 2 of the roll-out of veterans ID cards.

Answer

The Veterans’ ID card provides both a memento of service and allows statutory and charity service providers to more easily identify an individual as someone who has served. Phase one of the Veterans’ ID card is complete, with Service leavers now receiving a card as part of the discharge process. Phase two will enable existing veterans to more quickly, easily, and securely prove they served in the UK Armed Forces so they can access the services they need, through digital means. Future-proofing and safeguarding against fraudulent use means the process for phase two rollout will take longer than anticipated. This Government is committed to making the UK the best place to be a veteran in the world, and we need to ensure that this is not abused.

The Ministry of Defence, including Veterans UK, is working with the Office for Veterans’ Affairs within the Cabinet Office to develop ideas on how to build an online digital verification tool so that people can prove they served; this is a commitment in the Strategy for Our Veterans. We are beginning to move this work forward but are unable to announce a delivery date at this point.

Information on phase two of the Veterans’ ID card will be released closer to the launch date at the following website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-veterans-id-cards-rolled-out-to-service-leavers


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
81645
Session
2019-21
Related items
Veterans: Identity Cards
Tuesday, 24 November 2020
Written questions
House of Commons
Veterans: Identity Cards
Tuesday, 22 September 2020
Written questions
House of Commons
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Identity cards Veterans
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk