Richard Benyon is supporting the Royal British Legion’s campaign to press for the inclusion of questions about the Armed Forces community in the next national census in 2021.
Commenting on the ‘Count Them In’ initiative, Richard said, ‘Apparently, after the 2011 census we knew more about the Jedi population of the UK than about those who have served in our Armed Forces. Despite an estimated 1 in 10 of the UK population being members of the Armed Forces community, there's very limited information about where they are or what their needs might be.’
‘We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to change this. By adding new questions to the 2021 census we can improve our understanding of this community and ensure that politicians, charities and service providers fully meet the needs of our serving personnel, veterans and their families.’
The British Legion is working with its sister charity, Poppyscotland, in publicly calling for the UK Parliament, Scottish Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly to commit to this addition to the 2021 census.