Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2025 to Question 57928 on Armed Force: Deployment, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the current allowance package in meeting the cost-of-living differences for service personnel deployed in high-cost overseas locations.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
To account for the differences in the cost-of-living in overseas locations, eligible Service personnel are entitled to Local Overseas Allowance (LOA). LOA recognises the amount by which average essential day-to-day expenditure in an overseas location differs from that in the UK. LOA is calculated with regard to the difference in living costs, locally lived experience, and locally specific costs such as legally required items or banking charges.
LOA transitioned to a new, more accurate methodology in October 2024 which uses both Office for National Statistics and commercially available data to make it more responsive to prices faced by Service personnel. The Ministry of Defence continually reviews and monitors the allowance package to ensure it remains appropriate for varying local economic circumstances through feedback from deployed Service personnel.
The overall remuneration package for Service personnel deployed overseas recognises the unique demands of Service life and includes X-Factor pay which compensates for the conditions faced by Service personnel, including the impact of isolation and separation from families. Those deployed to particularly remote or operationally demanding locations, may also be entitled to Unpleasant Living or Unpleasant Work Allowances.
Although overseas location specific financial incentives were not considered during the Strategic Defence Review process, the importance of overall pay and other related measures were explored.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2025 to Question 57928 on Armed Force: Deployment, whether he considered introducing a specific financial incentive or hardship allowance for service personnel deployed to operationally demanding or remote overseas postings in the Strategic Defence Review.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
To account for the differences in the cost-of-living in overseas locations, eligible Service personnel are entitled to Local Overseas Allowance (LOA). LOA recognises the amount by which average essential day-to-day expenditure in an overseas location differs from that in the UK. LOA is calculated with regard to the difference in living costs, locally lived experience, and locally specific costs such as legally required items or banking charges.
LOA transitioned to a new, more accurate methodology in October 2024 which uses both Office for National Statistics and commercially available data to make it more responsive to prices faced by Service personnel. The Ministry of Defence continually reviews and monitors the allowance package to ensure it remains appropriate for varying local economic circumstances through feedback from deployed Service personnel.
The overall remuneration package for Service personnel deployed overseas recognises the unique demands of Service life and includes X-Factor pay which compensates for the conditions faced by Service personnel, including the impact of isolation and separation from families. Those deployed to particularly remote or operationally demanding locations, may also be entitled to Unpleasant Living or Unpleasant Work Allowances.
Although overseas location specific financial incentives were not considered during the Strategic Defence Review process, the importance of overall pay and other related measures were explored.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what consideration his Department has given to the future security, sustainability and capacity of the supply chain for sonobuoys used by the Royal Air Force.
Answered by Maria Eagle
The RAF has a robust mechanism for procurement of sonobuoys but continues to investigate alternative options to ensure supply chain resilience.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department took to consult with service (a) personnel and (b) veterans during the development of the Strategic Defence Review 2025.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The MOD issued a call for evidence, explicitly inviting responses from military personnel and veterans that saw 1,700 individuals provide over 8,000 responses. We also conducted an internal survey to gather additional insights from those currently serving which saw 800 responses. The Review and Challenge Panels also included serving and retired military personnel.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he plans to take through the Strategic Defence Review 2025 to tackle recruitment shortfalls in the armed forces; and how these will be implemented.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The current Government inherited a crisis in recruitment and retention from the last administration.
The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) 2025 is clear that Defence must now meet the longstanding challenge of recruiting and retaining new generations with different requirements. We are committed to the vision that long-term success depends on reconnecting society with the Armed Forces and the purpose of Defence, and for recruitment the focus should be on speed, drastically shortening the period between applicants expressing interest and joining.
To achieve this, Defence will offer novel ways of entry into the Armed Forces that attract more people from a wider range of backgrounds. The Army and Navy are developing short term employment opportunities - “gap year” schemes - for young men and women across a variety of exciting roles that will upskill, provide apprenticeships, and a flavour of life in the Armed Forces.
Full plans will be announced in due course now that we have published the SDR, but we have already introduced several initiatives to improve recruitment including pay increases for new recruits and existing personnel, the scrapping of outdated medical policies, the implementation of a direct-entry cyber pathway and the setting of ambitions to make conditional offers of employment and provisional training start dates in much shorter time. All of these have achieved results; year on year there are now increased applications to the Armed Forces, increased inflow by 19% – including exceeded recruitment targets by the Royal Navy – and at the same time we have reduced outflow by 7%.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether financial incentives for service personnel on overseas deployments were considered during the the Strategic Defence Review.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Financial Incentives (FI) are offered by cohort and rank rather than geography of Service. As such there is not a singular FI for those serving overseas, but a number of Service personnel overseas are receiving a FI. Service personnel receive an allowance package to mitigate disadvantage of relocation and differing costs of living. Furthermore, Service personnel living in Service Families Accommodation overseas pay a smaller accommodation fee then those living in the UK. The Strategic Defence Review also explored the importance of pay and measures to improve retention, including recommending the Ministry of Defence prioritise delivering its 'flexible working' initiative, and providing support towards home ownership. Also announced as part of the Review was over £1.5 billion additional funding to fix forces family housing.
As a new Government, we have already improved the childcare offer for those Service personnel which was announced in November 2024.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has made an assessment of whether the pay as you dine scheme in military bases is the optimal approach to meeting the cost of food and drink.
Answered by Maria Eagle
The Defence Catering Strategy (DCS) was built on the comprehensive assessment undertaken through the Delivering Defence Dining Quality (3DQ) Review, led by the Institute of Naval Medicine on behalf of all three Services, and which reported in December 2021. 3DQ made a number of recommendations for changing the dining experience in Defence all of which were incorporated into the DCS.
The first stage of implementation of the DCS began in May 2024 with new menus and a change to our charging approach, namely moving to meals sold at the food cost of each item plus VAT, with Defence continuing to meet the total cost of service provision. The Strategy also aims to improve the dining environment, to vary opening times to suit local needs, and to enhance the dining experience through greater use of technology. Feedback on the new dining offer has largely been positive, including regarding the range and healthiness of choices, and the cost to the individual. This is a constantly evolving offer, with views gathered locally to ensure that the menus, continue to improve.
This activity is taking place within existing arrangements whilst the process of securing the future of Soft Facilities Management contracts is ongoing. The health needs of our personnel will also inform the food elements of those new contracts. We are working to ensure that our people are routinely eating in our facilities and that the menus they choose from offer the balance that they need to be able to perform in their demanding roles.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support veterans living in rural communities.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
This Government is committed to improving services for veterans wherever they live, including those who live in rural communities. We recently announced VALOUR, a new commitment to establish the first-ever UK-wide approach to veteran support, to ensure easier access to essential care and support for veterans across the UK.
This regional approach, based on a network of VALOUR support centres, together with regional field officers, will ensure that services are designed to meet the needs of their local communities.
Further details on VALOUR will be announced in due course and more information can be found at the following link https://www.gov.uk/guidance/valour-information-and-next-steps