Fife's pledge to ensure fair treatment for armed forces personnel
Councillors have agreed to an Armed forces covenant- a promise to ensure that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces, and their families, are treated fairly.
It came at today’s full Fife Council meeting.
Councillor. Rod Cavanagh, the local authority’s armed forces and veterans community champion, said it was a “tangible example of how we can give something back.”
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Hide AdCouncillors agreed to enter into an individual covenant, proposed by the Ministry of Defence, which will detail their own specific commitments in this area. This would be in addition to, not a replacement for, the current community covenant.
It addresses support provided to the spouses and partners of serving personnel who often face challenges when seeking employment.
It also enshrines the support that the council, as an employer, will provide to current employees who are members of the Reserve Forces.
The housing and educational needs of service families can be different from those of the general public, and the covenant also acknowledges these specific challenges and commits to meeting these.
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Hide AdAdded Cllr Kavanagh: “The value of our armed forces cannot be overstated.”
The Fife Partnership entered into a community covenant in November 2011 and while a number of effective procedures and initiatives have been put in place by service providers, a report to councillors noted that “levels of delivery are inconsistent around the UK.”
It also said the Government was concerned that some members of the armed forces community are still suffering disadvantage in accessing public services.”
It intends to use legislative means to ensure that awareness of the covenant is maximised.
> Hannah Brown , Local Democracy Reporting Service