Agenda item

See attached paper.

Motion on behalf of the Administration and the Residents’ Group

That the Council:

1.         Notes that its commitment to the Armed Forces Community Covenant ensures the needs of those residents of Havering who serve, or have served, the country are recognised and supported at a local level.

2.         Further notes that many other residents have, through a range of professions, served the country in equally significant measure such as in national security and defence including those who participated in the testing of Britain’s nuclear weapons in the 1950s and 1960s.

3.         Welcomes that, following a Ministry of Defence commissioned Health Needs Analysis in 2011 of British nuclear test veterans, the NHS have introduced a number of practical measures to support them.

4.         Believes that other parts of the public and voluntary sector should seek to introduce similar measures to support nuclear test veterans – and that the Council should lead this at a local level by extending the provisions of the Armed Forces Community Covenant to those veterans who live in Havering.

5.         Urges the Government to support the campaign of the British Nuclear Tests Veteran Association by:

·                Officially recognising the unique service of these veterans and acknowledge the nation’s continuing debt to them; and

·                Supporting the intention to establish a Benevolent Fund of £25 million to provide assistance for those veterans and their descendants in need.

6.         Agrees to ask our Members of Parliament to back this campaign and join the Council in urging the Government to support the requests outlined in (5) above.

Following debate, the Administration and Residents’ Group motion was CARRIED by 50 votes to 0 (see division 8).

RESOLVED:

That the Council:

1.         Notes that its commitment to the Armed Forces Community Covenant ensures the needs of those residents of Havering who serve, or have served, the country are recognised and supported at a local level.

2.         Further notes that many other residents have, through a range of professions, served the country in equally significant measure such as in national security and defence including those who participated in the testing of Britain’s nuclear weapons in the 1950s and 1960s.

3.         Welcomes that, following a Ministry of Defence commissioned Health Needs Analysis in 2011 of British nuclear test veterans, the NHS have introduced a number of practical measures to support them.

4.         Believes that other parts of the public and voluntary sector should seek to introduce similar measures to support nuclear test veterans – and that the Council should lead this at a local level by extending the provisions of the Armed Forces Community Covenant to those veterans who live in Havering.

5.         Urges the Government to support the campaign of the British Nuclear Tests Veteran Association by:

·                Officially recognising the unique service of these veterans and acknowledge the nation’s continuing debt to them; and

·                Supporting the intention to establish a Benevolent Fund of £25 million to provide assistance for those veterans and their descendants in need.

6.         Agrees to ask our Members of Parliament to back this campaign and join the Council in urging the Government to support the requests outlined in (5) above.