EDM 137: Armed Services Advice Project funding

That the House notes with concern the reported decision by the Royal British Legion to cease funding to the Armed Services Advice Project, which will see the service close; understands that the Project was established in 2010 as a partnership between Poppyscotland and Citizens Advice Services Scotland to provide dedicated information, advice and support to members of the Armed Forces community in Scotland; believes that the Project supports an average of 2,200 beneficiaries a year, through 16 local Citizens Advice Bureaux across Scotland, covering 75% of all local authority areas in Scotland; notes that local CABs are now getting referrals from Poppy Scotland, demonstrating the crucial need for the services; understands that, since its inception, the project has generated over £20 million of financial gain for veterans and their families; acknowledges recent analysis, which shows that 95% of service users showed improvements in peace of mind, 84% saw improvements in their financial situation, including access to benefits, 75% felt more able to help themselves, and 67% saw improvements to their mental health, and notes the calls for the Legion, in light of what it sees as these significant outcomes, to reconsider the decision, which, it considers, will have a detrimental impact on the veteran community in Scotland.