Ulster Unionist Peer Lord Empey  has continued his campaign to ensure the provisions of the Military Covenant apply to Northern Ireland in exactly the same manner as in the rest of the United Kingdom.

Lord Empey said:

‘I recently asked the Government what discussions they have had with the Northern Ireland Executive prior to the publication of the Armed Forces Covenant Annual Report 2012, what steps they are taking to guarantee access to cross-government services for serving and former members of the Armed Forces who reside in Northern Ireland and what reasons the Northern Ireland Executive has given for being unable to provide preferential access to cross-government services for serving and former members of the armed forces.

I welcome the Government’s response that “The Armed Forces Covenant applies to the whole Armed Forces community wherever its members are located”. 

However, I find it unacceptable to learn that “The views of the Northern Ireland Executive were sought prior to the publication of the Armed Forces Covenant Annual report 2012, but were not obtained” and I would call upon the Executive to state clearly why its views were not made available. The Ulster Unionist party is on record as being fully supportive of the Armed Forces Covenant and its application throughout the United Kingdom.

Lord Empey continued:

It is simply not acceptable that Sinn Fein or anyone else should be permitted to delay equality to serving and former members of the Armed Forces who reside in Northern Ireland.  Where is the fairness in a member of a military unit who lives in Northern Ireland being treated differently to members of the same unit whom reside in say Glasgow, Cardiff or Manchester?   

I also note the comment that “The Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office Mike Penning is currently meeting Northern Ireland Ministers and the parties to discuss how the covenant can be more fully extended to Northern Ireland and …the Minister of State for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans Mark Francois plans to visit Northern Ireland to see how the Covenant principles are being applied.”

The Ulster Unionist Party very much welcomes the opportunity to meet with Mark Francois and assure him of our total support for the application of the Military Covenant throughout the United Kingdom.

As we saw only last week in the debate about the National Crime Agency, Sinn Fein and the SDLP have decided to frustrate the work of the NCA within Northern Ireland and create a situation whereby we in Northern Ireland will not have the same level of protection from serious and organised crime that will be enjoyed by our fellow citizens in the remainder of the United Kingdom.

Just as these two parties must not be allowed to succeed in that enterprise so they must not be allowed to succeed in denying equality to members of our Armed Forces community.”