The Greater London Authority Elections (Amendment) Rules 2026

Explanatory Notes to the Veterans' and Families' Livelihoods (Support by the Crown) Bill [HL]

This Bill makes provision for support to veterans of the armed forces and their immediate families by the Crown. The Bill is an initiative of Baroness Cox.

PART 1

Duty to secure support

1 Duty to secure support

(1) The Crown must secure that support is available to veterans and their immediate families.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), “support” means any provision or service that the Crown, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, may make to assist veterans and their immediate families in relation to—

(a) employment and training; (b) housing and accommodation; (c) physical and mental health and wellbeing; (d) debt and financial management; (e) social inclusion and community integration.

(3) The Crown may discharge the duty under subsection (1) by securing that support is provided by—

(a) a government department or public authority; (b) a person acting on behalf of the Crown or a government department or public authority.

(4) The duty to secure support under this section does not impose on the Crown any new function or liability unless provision is made by or under an Act of Parliament for that purpose.

2 Relationship with existing provision

(1) Nothing in this Part is to be taken to restrict or modify any existing entitlement to support or any existing provision of support under or by virtue of any other enactment or rule of law.

(2) The duty in section 1 is supplementary to any existing entitlement or provision of support to which a veteran or their immediate family may be entitled or have access.

3 Guidance

(1) The Secretary of State must issue guidance about the discharge of the duties under section 1.

(2) The Secretary of State must keep the guidance under review and revise it if they consider it necessary to do so.

(3) The Secretary of State must lay a copy of any guidance issued or revised under this section before each House of Parliament.

PART 2

Definitions and commencement

4 Definitions

(1) In this Act—

“immediate family” in relation to a veteran means—

(a) a spouse, civil partner or an individual living with the veteran as if they were a spouse or civil partner; (b) a child or grandchild of the veteran, or a person whom the veteran has formally adopted in accordance with relevant adoption legislation; (c) a person who is financially dependent on the veteran at the time the veteran ceases to serve or at the time of the veteran’s death;

“Secretary of State” means a Secretary of State authorised by the Crown to act in relation to the matter in question;

“veteran” means a person who has served in the armed forces of the Crown for a period of not less than one day.

(2) For the purposes of this Act, a person ceases to serve in the armed forces of the Crown when that person is discharged from service or is released from service in the armed forces of the Crown.

5 Commencement

This Act comes into force on the day on which it is passed.

6 Short title

This Act may be cited as the Veterans’ and Families’ Livelihoods (Support by the Crown) Act 202[X].