I referred to locally employed citizens in Afghanistan. It may be that some members of the Afghan army felt at risk and that their lives were imperilled, and therefore sought to return to this country. We would bring them under the overall umbrella of help we felt it necessary to provide people who came here because they feared for their lives—and they were people with whom we had a relationship. So I suggest that there is not a complete analogy in the noble Lord’s description.
We recognise that settlement fees place a financial burden on non-UK serving personnel wishing to remain in the UK after their discharge, and the strength of feeling from parliamentarians, service charities and the public about this issue. As has already been indicated, the Ministry of Defence, together with the Home Office, ran a public consultation between 26 May and 7 July 2021 regarding a policy proposal to waive settlement fees for non-UK service personnel. The noble Lord, Lord Tunnicliffe, asked when we will get an outcome from that. I can say to him that 6,398 responses were received. These are having to be sifted through. The results are currently being considered and the Government will publish their response in due course. The Government are aware that there is a certain anticipation in the outside world to know their response.
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In the meantime, the MoD made clear to Commonwealth and Gurkha recruits the process by which they and their families can attain settlement in the UK and the costs involved. The MoD is also
working with the Joining Forces credit union to provide financial education, savings packages and loan packages to help non-UK personnel pay for visa costs should they wish to remain and settle in the UK after their service. We are also exploring what options there are to assist those veterans who do not have settled status in the UK. I hope that, following this assurance, the noble Lord will agree to withdraw his amendment.
I turn to Amendment 63, proposed by the noble Lord, Lord Coaker, and supported by the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Craig of Radley, and the noble Lord, Lord Dannatt. This amendment is on similar terms to Amendment 49, on fees for indefinite leave to remain for Commonwealth and Gurkha veterans, but it also includes the Hong Kong Military Service Corps. I take this opportunity to express the Government’s sincere thanks to those who served in the Hong Kong Military Service Corps. I also pay tribute to and thank the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Craig, for his elucidation to me of the position. I found that very helpful and I can reassure him, and the Committee, that we will look at this group to see whether it should be included in the work that the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence are doing on ILR fees for Commonwealth and Gurkha veterans. Again, rather like Amendment 49, at this stage this amendment would be unhelpful to the ongoing work and I therefore ask the noble Lord not to press it.