WIREDGOV

The Prime Minister is seeking to get agreement for an unprecedented international Armed Forces Declaration at the NATO summit this week.

The Armed Forces Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum is set to be spruced up as the government announces £1 million for its maintenance and repair.

The government is also committing to fund the memorial in Staffordshire, which commemorates over 16,000 personnel who have died on duty since the end of WWII, through to the end of the next Parliament.

The funding comes as the Prime Minister seeks to get agreement for an unprecedented international Armed Forces Declaration at the NATO summit in Wales this week.

The Declaration would follow the UK’s Military Covenant - strengthening support for the Armed Forces across the Alliance’s 28 member countries and promoting the sharing of best practice, for example on the provision of medical care for injured personnel and their families.

Welsh veterans will also benefit from new Covenant funding announced yesterday. The government will invest £2.26 million from the LIBOR fines to support veterans who are homeless, wounded, injured or sick to access local housing and support services in Wales.

The First Choice Housing Association’s Veterans Accommodation Pathway project will address the housing needs of veterans from across the UK that wish to settle in Wales and the borders by supporting their transition into civilian life and employment. Projects will run in Wrexham, Ceredigion and Flintshire.

Prime Minister David Cameron said:

For the last 4 years, I’ve put strengthening respect and increasing support for our Armed Forces at the heart of this government’s agenda.

This week, I want to build on that at the NATO summit in Wales by establishing a new NATO Alliance Declaration that will set out our shared commitment to supporting our Armed Forces and their families and providing them with the help they need.

We must also ensure we honour properly those who have given their lives in the service of their country and that’s why this extra funding for the Armed Forces Memorial is so important. It will ensure we maintain this special place where families and friends can go to remember their loved ones.

And I’m pleased that we are also continuing our work to support veterans across the country. This LIBOR funding will help veterans in Wrexham, Ceredigion and Flintshire to make the transition into civilian life, providing assistance as they find new jobs and homes.

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