Baroness Massey of Darwen

Public safety and protecting the most vulnerable people in society from coronavirus is this government’s top priority. The Government has prepared ‘how to help safely’ guidance on Gov.uk to advise individuals and charities how they can help those isolating - including friends, family members and neighbours. This guidance is also accessible for the new Covid Mutual Aid groups that have been set up in response to the crisis. These pages have been accessed over 174,000 times since publication.

Genuine volunteers have been instructed not to enter people’s homes, unless deemed essential. We advise that vulnerable people take general precautions such as asking for ID, not sharing financial details and, if in doubt, do not engage and report serious suspicious behaviour to the police.

Since Friday 20 March, schools have been closed except for children of critical workers and vulnerable children. Attending school can be a protective factor, which is why vulnerable children are eligible for continued provision.

We recognise that many schools have already shared resources for children who are at home, and are grateful for this.

We are working with the BBC and other partners to provide access and support directly to parents, including online resources they can access for their children at home, and my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has announced a package of high-quality resources:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/extra-support-for-schools-and-parents-to-help-cope-with-coronavirus.

We will consider accessibility throughout the development of any advice, and ask that schools do the same.

Information regarding how many users of the chaplaincy identified as non-religious is not held. Data regarding any protected characteristics of individuals seeking confidential pastoral support is not normally recorded, nor will they necessarily even arise or be disclosed unless they have a direct bearing upon the issues at hand.

Where dissatisfaction or a neutral stance is expressed in the Armed Forces Continuous Attitudes Survey (AFCAS), the specific reasoning behind each survey response is not recorded. AFCAS does not go into that level of detail, however, local evaluations in-Unit routinely show high levels of satisfaction with the teaching and pastoral care that chaplaincy provides.

Neutral responses with the AFCAS survey are often in effect a “not applicable (N/A)” response. In this case the respondents are not likely to have sought direct support from the chaplaincy in the time frame of the AFCAS survey. As they are unlikely to have accessed or used the service provided, there are no specific measures targeting improvement for this cohort of respondents.

Information regarding a breakdown of resources comparing the chaplaincy to the various staff networks that provide support to Service personnel is not held in the format requested.

The question of the religion, belief, or any other protected characteristics of an individual in contact with chaplaincy has absolutely no bearing on priority of access for pastoral support. Pastoral support is delivered according to need and open to all.

Information regarding how many users of the chaplaincy identified as non-religious is not held. Data regarding any protected characteristics of individuals seeking confidential pastoral support is not normally recorded, nor will they necessarily even arise or be disclosed unless they have a direct bearing upon the issues at hand.

Where dissatisfaction or a neutral stance is expressed in the Armed Forces Continuous Attitudes Survey (AFCAS), the specific reasoning behind each survey response is not recorded. AFCAS does not go into that level of detail, however, local evaluations in-Unit routinely show high levels of satisfaction with the teaching and pastoral care that chaplaincy provides.

Neutral responses with the AFCAS survey are often in effect a “not applicable (N/A)” response. In this case the respondents are not likely to have sought direct support from the chaplaincy in the time frame of the AFCAS survey. As they are unlikely to have accessed or used the service provided, there are no specific measures targeting improvement for this cohort of respondents.

Information regarding a breakdown of resources comparing the chaplaincy to the various staff networks that provide support to Service personnel is not held in the format requested.

The question of the religion, belief, or any other protected characteristics of an individual in contact with chaplaincy has absolutely no bearing on priority of access for pastoral support. Pastoral support is delivered according to need and open to all.

All military Chaplains are accredited by Defence-endorsed sending churches or faith authorities which have committed their Chaplains to appreciate and understand the world views of all personnel irrespective of faith background. The vast majority of Chaplains are, additionally, university graduates whose professional studies will have included study of world views from a variety of spectrums, including humanism. Exact content will vary by institution, and is accredited by the relevant university, or institution.

Military Chaplains are professionally qualified to provide pastoral care to everyone, regardless of philosophy or faith background. Service personnel who do not wish to talk to a Chaplain are encouraged to seek support from a variety of alternative sources, which can be facilitated by the Chaplain. This includes their Chain of Command, through the Services' professional social workers, medical staff and welfare staff. Mutual support is also available via the various staff networks, including the Humanist and Non Religious in Defence (HAND) Network.

The publicly available annual Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey shows that, of those who have used chaplaincy support provided by their Service, satisfaction with the service has ranged between 61% and 65%. Dissatisfaction levels have been consistently low, recorded at either 4% or 5%, with the remaining 30% to 35% of respondents having a neutral stance on the service.