Member

Even with the proposed removal of fees for dependants, the current Home Office approach to non-UK personnel remains inconsistent with the principles of the armed forces covenant, which is why I do not support new clause 5. It is the covenant that should do that work. The reality of military life makes navigating a complex and bureaucratic application process especially difficult. From the work of the APPG on the armed forces community, it is clear that there is cross-party support for the automatic enrolment of those who have served. It is therefore difficult to understand why the Home Office remains so reluctant to introduce measures to ensure that non-UK personnel are not disadvantaged by their service.