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Dr Liam Fox: "The covenant is being recognised in statute for the first time"
Defence Secretary Liam Fox has announced details of the UK's military covenant, which includes three cycles of IVF for seriously-injured veterans.
The treatment would be available to those with serious genital injuries.Dr Fox told the Commons that a veterans' card allowing discounts and privileges would be launched, and that a new fund would support state schools with large numbers of service children.
And council tax relief for overseas personnel is rising from 25% to 50%.
The announcement of three cycles is in line with official guidelines, although not all health trusts fund that many.
The defence secretary also said the government was allocating up to £30m over the next four years to support joint projects between local communities and the Armed Forces or veterans groups.
The British Legion said it was a "historic breakthrough" which would benefit servicemen and their families for generations to come.
'Balancing act' The announcement comes as the Ministry of Defence said it was seeking to find more savings from the armed forces in the next financial year.
Dr Fox told the House of Commons that the obligation owed by the nation to its servicemen and women was enormous.
He added: "In the current financial climate we are not able to do as much to honour that obligation, nor to do it as quickly as we would like. But we can make clear the road on which we are embarked."
Dr Fox also said that in publishing a new version of the Armed Forces Covenant, written on a tri-service basis for the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, a careful balancing act had to be made. continued
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