DAVID WILLIAMS ADDRESSES THE NANTWICH BRANCH OF THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION

David Williams, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Crewe and Nantwich, was invited to address the Nantwich branch of The Royal British Legion at the Conservative Club on Churchyardside, and has signed up to their ‘Do Your Bit’ campaign.

David said, "The Royal British Legion does great work for our Armed Forces family – our serving personnel, veterans and their families. I fully support the Legion’s ‘Do Your Bit’ campaign and have already signed up in support of their campaign.”

The Royal British Legion have drawn up a manifesto for the next General Election and to ensure that the next Government does their bit for the whole Armed Forces family.

David Williams told the Nantwich branch that the Government has already announced a review of the Armed Forces Compensation scheme, with Admiral the Lord Boyce acting as an independent chair of the review. Ensuring that our Armed Forces have better accommodation has also been a priority of this Government in remedying decades of under investment. The Government has committed £3bn to enhancing accommodation over the next ten years. The 2009 pay award of 2.8% meant that for the third year running the Forces pay increase was amongst the highest in the public sector. Welfare support for casualties in hospitals has been much improved.

Last year the Government published the ‘Service Personnel Command Paper’ which the Royal British Legion praised at the time. Amongst the forty commitments in the paper are steps to ensure that:

• Service dependents can retain their place on an NHS waiting list when they move to a new area.

• Injured personnel can now access grants of up to £30,000 to adapt their home, without their compensation payments being means-tested. Seriously injured personnel are entitled to privileged access to affordable housing schemes in England.

• Priority status in affordable housing schemes across Great Britain, including the ability to apply 12 months after discharge.

David concluded, “The Nantwich branch of the Royal British Legion made me very welcome and we had a very useful and fruitful discussion. The branch raised a few issues that I will take back and discuss with the appropriate Government Minister.