Yorkshire adopts Armed Forces Community Covenant

Yorkshire has become the first region in the UK to adopt the Armed Forces Community Covenant.

All 32 councils in the Yorkshire and Humber Local Government Association have voted to accept the document, which enshrines the principle that troops are owed a moral obligation on their return, the Yorkshire Post reports.

The leader of York Council James Alexander, said: "I'm proud that Yorkshire is leading the way in creating community covenants to support our dedicated servicemen and women."

He added that the region is proud of its military history and this could be the reason why the area is "leading the rest" when it comes to adoption of the measures.

Some of the key points of the Armed Forces Community Covenant will be council tax relief being increased to 50 per cent, the launch of the Troops to Teachers scheme and the creation of a £30 million Community Covenant programme.

Posted by Trevor Smith