National News & Announcements

Gavin Williamson has launched a crusade to stop women, children and men being used as weapons of war in conflicts. The Ministry of Defence has allocated £2 million a year to run courses in training troops from around the world to recognise the complexities of gender in conflict. The training will focus on areas such as women and children in armed conflict, human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

A watchdog said the MOD has now accepted it will not meet its target of saving £310 million from civilian staff costs by next year. The Ministry of Defence is making "little progress" towards a target to cut 30% of its civilian workforce and save £310 million by 2020, Whitehall's spending watchdog has warned.

Military charities say they are not coping with the increased demand for mental health support. Campaigners estimate that last year, at least 58 veterans took their own lives. The Ministry of Defence spends £22 million pounds a year on mental health for veterans, while the NHS has dedicated around £6m annually since 2016.

An inquest, which is due to begin today, will examine whether there was a lack of support for two soldiers who died in suspected suicides at Ballykinler in County Down. Lance Corporal James Ross and Rifleman Darren Mitchell, who both served in Afghanistan, died within three months of each other in 2012 and 2013. Both were found hanged. Their families claim that they had nobody to turn to with their problems and did not provide a conducive environment for soldiers who might be struggling on their return from operations overseas.