Note of meeting held via MS Teams on 5 October 2022

Chair

Councillor Mark Horsham, Veterans Champion, South Lanarkshire Council (after Item 2)

Members present

• Councillor Bob Burgess, Veterans Champion, North Lanarkshire Council
• Maureen Greenwood, Members’ Services Manager, South Lanarkshire Council
• Geraldine McCann, Lead Officer for Veterans Issues, South Lanarkshire Council
• Lynne Wyllie, Administration Assistant, South Lanarkshire Council
• Archie Aitken, Lead Officer for Veterans Issues, North Lanarkshire Council
• Catherine Johnstone, North Lanarkshire Council
• Caroline Belch, Welfare Support Officer, Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund
• Claire Sally, Forces Employment Charity
• Audrey Cuthbertson, Armed Services Advice Project (ASAP)
• Eric Foy and June Weir, Team Leaders, Skills Development Scotland
• Emma Gration, Outreach Officer (Scotland) BLESMA
• Kenny Cumming, Veterans Welfare Officer, Defence Medical Welfare Service (DMWS)
• Peita-Anne Paterson and Madalina Amaritei, REMPLOY
• Andy Siddaway, Veterans 1st Point
• Mark Spowart, Department for Work and Pensions
• Stuart Roberts, Office of the Lieutenancy
• Colonel Ted Shields MBE, Chief Executive, Lowland Reserve Forces and Cadet Association
• Shaun Cauvin, Veterans Scotland

Apologies

• Craig Cunningham, Veterans Champion, NHS Lanarkshire
• Gavin Davey OBE, Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund
• Captain Andy Blair, MOD, C Company (6 SCOTS)
• Dave Gibson, Fares4Free
• Brian Hendrie, Alcoholics Anonymous
• Steve Burton, Support Officer, BLESMA

Chair’s opening remarks

Councillor Horsham welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked Councillor Cullen for the tremendous work he had carried out in his role as Veterans Champion for North Lanarkshire Council.  He also welcomed Councillor Burgess, the new Veterans Champion for North Lanarkshire Council to his first meeting.

Note of previous meeting

The note of the meeting of the Firm Base held on 19 January 2022 was submitted for approval as a correct record. 
Outcome(s):  Minutes approved

Appointment of new chairs

Councillor Horsham asked everyone present if they would like to appoint new Chairs from any of the organisations involved.  A Cuthbertson proposed to continue with the Chairs from South Lanarkshire Council/North Lanarkshire Council. S Roberts seconded this, and the group were happy for this to be continued.

Outcome(s): It was agreed that Councillor Horsham be appointed Chair for the meetings hosted by South Lanarkshire Council and Councillor Burgess be appointed Chair for the meetings hosted by North Lanarkshire Council.

The Armed Forces Bill

G McCann, Head of Administration and Legal Services, South Lanarkshire provided an update on The Armed Forces Bill, which had become the Armed Forces Act 2021.

The Act received Royal Ascent on 15 December 2021 and statutory guidance had been expected to be issued in 2022, however, this had not yet been received.  In order to cover the gap the Government had extended the existing Act so that the Armed Forces Covenant would still be there with the pledge and encouraging people to sign up.  The Act took it a step further, as it enshrined the Covenant in law.  Bodies such as Councils, Boards, the Crown Office in Scotland and the Procurator Fiscal Service all had a due regard to the Act in their role.  Organisations were expected to deliver improvements to the way was run.  Now it was a duty rather than a choice to sign up.  Within Councils it would affect employment, housing and education.

Councils would not see much difference to what they were already doing because they already had due regard, however, this would be seen coming through in Committee reports under the section of Equalities and Other Implications.  Members would be notified if there was a new policy coming through and of the need to have due regard to the Armed Forces Covenant and the impact this could have on armed forces personnel within South Lanarkshire.

The main focus was education, housing and jobs and at South Lanarkshire Council this was already in place.

However, two new things had been introduced - improvements in the Act - there was a duty on the Director of Service Prosecutions and the Director of Public Prosecutions in England and Wales to agree a protocol on the handling of cases where there was a concurrent jurisdiction between the armed forces and the general criminal regime.  This provided clarity on how decisions and jurisdictional decisions be made, who would take it forward and ensured that decisions would be left to the independent service, justice and civilian prosecutors using the guidance agreed between them.  There was also a new independent body set up to oversee complaints against service police, and that was going to be managed by a Service Police Complaints Commissioner, who would guarantee that there would be an independent line of redress if someone was dissatisfied with the outcome.

A Aitken also provided a brief update and confirmed that North Lanarkshire Council were at the same stage as South Lanarkshire Council.

Outcome(s):  Position noted.

Date of future meetings

It was agreed that the future meetings of Lanarkshire Firm Base be as follows:-

• January 2023 hosted by North Lanarkshire Council – date/time to be confirmed
• Wednesday 24 May 2023 at 2pm via MS Teams hosted by South Lanarkshire Council
• September 2023 hosted by North Lanarkshire Council – date/time to be confirmed

Outcome(s): Position noted.

Any Other Competent Business

All members present provided a brief update on the various tasks/activities that had been carried out since the last meeting of the Firm Base.

The Chair confirmed there were no items of urgent business.

Outcome(s): Position noted.