Support Our Soldiers

FREE POSTAGE PETITION

Following continued pressure by ourselves and other support groups, the Government recently announced a Free Postal Packet Service to authorised overseas operational theatres.

This service is to be funded by the Royal Mail and will operate from the

3rd September to the 9th November 2007.

Great news?  Well this is of course a start, but our concerns remain that such a

service is not sustainable in the long term. We will therefore be continuing to lobby the Ministry of Defence to introduce a voucher scheme for nominated family members which will enable them to send a set number of parcels each month, free of charge. 

Such a system has already been deemed 'logistically feasible' by the MOD and simply requires funding, funding which will be significantly lower than a blanket free postage service. A voucher system would also ensure that the flow of parcels would be regulated and essential supplies not jeopardised.  It could, and indeed should, be a permament part of the welfare package and this is what we will be working towards.

Working in conjunction with our local MPs - Philip Davies MP for Shipley and Sandra Osborne MP for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock - SOS representatives hope to meet the new Minister of State for the Armed Forces, Bob Ainsworth MP when Parliament reconvenes in October. 

We will of course keep you posted as to all developments!

In the meantime please feel free to continue to sign our original petion using the online link - http://www.gopetition.com/online/4054.html

Archive news relating to progress to date is shown below -

June 2007

Bad News on the Free Postage Front

I'm sorry to report that the voucher system proposed to Adam Ingram has been knocked back.  I've received a letter via Philip Davies MP which reads as follows:

'Dear Phillip,  On 21 May I wrote to you detailing my initial findings on Agnes Hunter and Karen Webster's proposals for a BFPO voucher system and stated that I would write to you again once I had examined the funding issues.  I would be grateful if you could pass this letter on to Agnes and Karen.   Unfortunately, whilst the Department is able to absorb the £100,000 cost of implementing the £5.31 Parcelforce rate from the Autumn for parcels between 1.5kgs and 2kgs I have been unable to identify alternative sources of funding for the £2million per annum cost of implementing a BFPO voucher system.  I realise this will be a disappointment to Agnes and Karen.  However I am grateful for their well thought-out proposal and it is one that I will keep in mind when considering future deployment welfare provision for our personnel.   I hope this is helpful.'  The Rt Hon Adam Ingram MP

May 2007

Great News on the Free Postage Front 

We're delighted to report a very positive step forward on the Free Postage front. As you know, Agnes and I met with the Rt Hon Adam Ingram at the beginning of the month, and at the meeting Mr Ingram promised to look into our proposal of a voucher scheme for Forces families.

I have this week received a letter from Philip Davies MP with the response from the Ministry of Defence -.

'I agreed to explore Agnes and Karen's proposals for a BFPO voucher scheme and to write to you with my initial findings.  Our initial discussions with Royal Mail Group and our analysis of potential mail volumes going to Iraq and Afghanistan have concluded that it is technically and logistically feasible to operate such a system. 

This initial finding is subject to further detailed work being carried out.  Based on an assumption of current deployed personnel strengths, the implementation of the £5.31 Parcelforce rate; and the use of 2 vouchers per month per family the estimated cost to the Department to refund RMG charges arising from such a scheme is £2m per annum.  The Permanent Joint Head Quarters and the three Services remain of the view that a 'free' postal service should not be funded at the expense of anything else in the Operational Welfare Package.  My staff are therefore seeking to identify any alternative sources of funding.  I will write to you again once this has been completed.'

In addition, one of our mums has been told by her son serving in the Gulf that he's been asked to nominate a person to receive the vouchers!

So fantastic news!  Not confirmed obviously but it does look as though the voucher scheme will go ahead!  After three years, and more in Agnes' case, of campaigning we

sincerely hope that it will finally happen, and we'll obviously pass on any updates as soon as they're received!

9th May 2007

Meeting with Rt Hon Adam Ingram MP re: Free Postage Petition

As many of you will remember, Agnes and I met with Des Browne MP, Secretary of State for Defense back in February of this year.  We were told at that meeting that whilst Free Postage would not be re-introduced across the board, some provisions would be put in place and to expect an announcement shortly.

Perhaps as expected, we heard nothing from this but, following a number of further letters to various parties, we were officially invited to meet with The Rt Hon Adam Ingram MP, Minister of State for the Armed Forces.

So on the 9th May Agnes and I headed down to London for the meeting at the Ministry of Defense.  We spent an hour with Mr Ingram and his team, discussing not only the matter of Free Postage but also various others issues relating to troop welfare that had been brought to our attention. 

The outcome of the meeting was that the MOD will not reinstate free postage on a blanket basis, but they have promised to consider the logistics of introducing a voucher scheme.

This was our suggestion to them, and would mean that families of Service Personnel would be issued with a set number of vouchers which could be redeemed for free postage on parcels to personnel serving overseas. 

The MOD are currently investigating the costs and other implications of such a scheme and will report the findings to us shortly.

So fingers crossed that we hear back, with a positive response, very soon.

June 2006

Since presenting the petition to Number 10 in February Agnes has e-mailed Des Browne the new Defence Secretary of State. His PA has passed it on but there has been no reply as yet.

Sandra Osborne continues to lobby for us but without much success. She has sent Agnes a copy letter from Adam Ingram in reply to our Valentine's petition and letters, in which he says freepost is not being reintroduced; troops can buy any item from NAAFI and if not available then they can put request in suggestions book;

It seems that both he and the Prime Minister continue to miss the point of our campaign. Sandra also sent Agnes a copy letter from Rt Hon James Arbuthnot MP, Chairman of the Defence Committe whom Agnes had suggested Sandra contact on our behalf.     

" Thank you for your letter of 13 April. Your constituent Agnes Hunter, deserves many congratulation for her energetic support for UK troops serving overseas. It is clear from the letters enclosed how much the parcels from home are appreciated. I will certainly bear this issue in mind as the Committee considers its future programme.  It may be that we will look at the work of the BFPO as part of our scrutiny of the MoD Agencies.                   

Your ever

James

CHAIRMAN"  

Agnes also wrote to HM Queen and Prince Charles enclosing copy letters from the field and highlighting that as the head of families and parents of serving soldiers then our campaign was of significance to them.

Prince Charles' equerry replied thanking us for the way in which I wrote but that he could not intervene personally and would pass the correspondence to the MoD.  He sent his Best Wishes to everyone.

She has not yet had a reply from HM so maybe no news is good news??!!

February 2006

Gary Duggan from Northern Ireland who has been a staunch supporter since the start of SOS very kindly contacted his local MP and received the following response:

"I am happy to give my support to the campaign to ensure that our soldiers in Iraq benefit from the reintroduction of the free-postal packet service that was withdrawn in April 2004.

I agree entirely with you that this decision was a major blow to the morale of our troops and their families and it is surely essential for the Government to review this decision.

Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns with me regarding this particular issue.  It is very much appreciated.

With kind regards.

ALDERMAN JEFFREY DONALDSON MP MLA Lagan Valley"

14th February 2006

On Valentine's Day the SOS team headed down to London to present the signed petition forms to the Prime Minister.  Full report and video clip below:

To mark Valentines Day, the Support Our Soldiers team travelled to London to present the freepost petition to Tony Blair.  No red roses, no red ribbon, just a brown parcel containing all the signatures received to date. These were gathered from people not just in the UK, but across the globe and we must thank everyone for their tremendous show of support.

Accompanying us at number 10 were Philip Davies, Conservative MP for Shipley and Sandra Osborne, Labour MP for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock. We are extremely grateful to have received cross party support and must express our thanks to Philip and Sandra for attending on the day and for their support throughout.

Sandra had just a few weeks previously visited Iraq and saw first hand the situation there.  You can see photos of her visit and view a full report by clicking here.

The British Forces Broadcasting Service came along to film the handover and also ran interviews with Agnes and myself.  And once again the Press Association forwarded their coverage to local newspapers across the UK.