Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of raising the retirement age of reservists from 60 to 65.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
I am grateful for the contribution of our Reserve Forces who provide the UK with the ability to meet the threats we face at home and overseas, with the scale, skills, agility and connection to society that it needs, in a cost-effective way.
Alongside the Strategic Defence Review’s interest in Reserves, and in tandem with the transformational work already underway in Defence, I am reviewing the Reserves landscape, in a meaningful and impactful way, to ensure that we are making the most of the unique skills our Reserves offer Defence.
A total of 2,860 Reservists are aged between 55 and 60. Of those, 450 will turn 60 in 2025 if they remain on strength.
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many reservists are aged between 55 and 60; and how many will be 60 in the next 12 months.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
I am grateful for the contribution of our Reserve Forces who provide the UK with the ability to meet the threats we face at home and overseas, with the scale, skills, agility and connection to society that it needs, in a cost-effective way.
Alongside the Strategic Defence Review’s interest in Reserves, and in tandem with the transformational work already underway in Defence, I am reviewing the Reserves landscape, in a meaningful and impactful way, to ensure that we are making the most of the unique skills our Reserves offer Defence.
A total of 2,860 Reservists are aged between 55 and 60. Of those, 450 will turn 60 in 2025 if they remain on strength.
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people left the armed forces in each of the last five years, and what information his Department holds on the different types of departure.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The number of people who have left the Armed Forces within the last five years can be found in the table below, and was extracted from the quarterly Service Personal Statistics 2024 on gov.uk at the following link
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-2024
12 Months Ending: | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
31 Mar | 31 Mar | 31 Mar | 31 Mar | 31 Mar | |
Tri Service: | |||||
Trained (RN/RM and RAF) and Trade Trained (Army) Outflow | 11,797 | 8,649 | 10,610 | 13,464 | 13,275 |
Voluntary Outflow | 7,379 | 5,268 | 5,978 | 8,400 | 8,101 |
Time Expiry | 1,854 | 1,572 | 2,026 | 2,147 | 1,960 |
Other Reasons | 2,564 | 1,809 | 2,606 | 2,917 | 3,214 |
According to the Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey (AFCAS) 2024, the top three factors increasing, or strongly increasing, intentions to leave were due to the impact of Service life on family and personal life; opportunities outside the Service and the amount of pay. Full results can be found at the
following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/armed-forces-continuous-attitude-survey-2024
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department paid in paternity pay to (a) civilian and (b) military staff in each of the last five years; and to how many fathers.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The below table details the number of people who took paternity leave for either the birth or adoption of a child in each of the last five calendar years. The amount paid to staff will take longer to compile and I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Calendar Year | Count of Civilian Person Number | Count of Military Person Number |
2020 | 306 | 2,400 |
2021 | 348 | 2,435 |
2022 | 495 | 2,299 |
2023 | 457 | 2,122 |
2024 | 420 | 1,667 |
Grand Total | 2,026 | 10,923 |
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support Armed Forces personnel with children when there is a breakdown in family arrangements.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Joint Service Publication (JSP) 770 (Tri-Service Operational and Non-Operational Welfare Policy) provides a framework for the delivery of a widely recognised and accessible support structure that secures and improves the wellbeing of Service personnel and the Service community.
Whilst JSP 770 recognises that Service personnel have responsibility for their own immediate welfare and that of their family, the Chain of Command have prime responsibility for the welfare support of those personnel under their command and their entitled families when their wellbeing is at risk. Delivery of welfare support to Service personnel and entitled family members is therefore a single Service responsibility and includes provision of welfare support to Service families experiencing separation and divorce.
JSP 770 can be accessed at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_d ata/file/480979/FOI_04718-JSP_770__Final_v10-U.pdf.
In addition, the Armed Forces Covenant also ensures that support is provided to Armed Forces families. It ensures, amongst other things, that those who currently serve or who have served, as well as their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. The Covenant Legal Duty obliges certain local public bodies to have due regard to the Covenant principles when conducting functions in healthcare, education, and housing. Local authorities are subject to this legal obligation in relation to social housing and homelessness.
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information his Department holds on the reasons why staff leave the armed forces; and what the most common reasons are.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The number of people who have left the Armed Forces within the last five years can be found in the table below, and was extracted from the quarterly Service Personal Statistics 2024 on gov.uk at the following link
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-2024
12 Months Ending: | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
31 Mar | 31 Mar | 31 Mar | 31 Mar | 31 Mar | |
Tri Service: | |||||
Trained (RN/RM and RAF) and Trade Trained (Army) Outflow | 11,797 | 8,649 | 10,610 | 13,464 | 13,275 |
Voluntary Outflow | 7,379 | 5,268 | 5,978 | 8,400 | 8,101 |
Time Expiry | 1,854 | 1,572 | 2,026 | 2,147 | 1,960 |
Other Reasons | 2,564 | 1,809 | 2,606 | 2,917 | 3,214 |
According to the Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey (AFCAS) 2024, the top three factors increasing, or strongly increasing, intentions to leave were due to the impact of Service life on family and personal life; opportunities outside the Service and the amount of pay. Full results can be found at the
following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/armed-forces-continuous-attitude-survey-2024
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of working conditions in the Armed Forces on the (a) mental health and (b) familial relations of Armed Forces personnel.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Defence considers its people to be its greatest asset and is committed to the health and wellbeing of our personnel and their families. We recognise that the unique nature of Service life can cause stress and strain.
We invest in, and act upon, mechanisms designed to understand the opinions and attitudes of Service personnel and their families. Through the annual Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey (AFCAS) and Families Continuous Attitude Survey (FAMCAS) we gather information on the views and experiences of our personnel and their families, including topics such as morale and accommodation, which will impact on family life. The information from these surveys helps shape policies for training, support, and the terms and conditions of service.
All Service personnel can also access pastoral and welfare care from a variety of sources, including from within their Chain of Command, Service welfare organisations, contracted Social Work Services, Families Federations and, where appropriate, Service Charities. Specialist mental health support for Service personnel is also available, including on-demand digital resources, and in-person welfare establishments.
The latest AFCAS and FAMCAS data can be found at the following links:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/armed-forces-continuous-attitude-survey-summaries.
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has conducted qualitative research into recruitment barriers in the Armed Forces.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The new Government’s work in improving retention and recruitment is part of a package of measures aimed to renew the contract between the nation and those who serve. We are modernising and refining our policies and processes to attract, and then retain the best possible talent, highlighting that Defence is a modern, forward-facing employer which offers a valuable and rewarding career. Within this work we are drawing on qualitative research to inform decisions and steer direction, ensuring that desired outcomes are achieved in the most effective ways.
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average length of paternity leave taken by staff in (a) his Department and (b) the armed forces was in each of the last three years.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Our records show that between 2021 and October 2024, Ministry of Defence employees have taken paternity leave for the birth or adoption of a child.
The average working days taken (AWDT) for civilian and military personnel is shown in the tables below.
Calendar Year | AWDT Civilian Personnel |
2021 | 13.3 |
2022 | 12.7 |
2023 | 12.9 |
2024 Jan-Oct | 12.5 |
Data covers the entire civilian workforce (includes DE&S and SDA)
Data includes Paternity Leave, Paternity Leave Birth and Paternity Leave Adoption
Calendar Year | AWDT Military Personnel |
2021 | 13.6 |
2022 | 13.7 |
2023 | 13.6 |
2024 Jan-Oct | 13.7 |
Data includes Paternity Leave, Paternity Leave Birth and Paternity Leave Adoption
- including any unpaid and deferred elements
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to issue any licences for fox trail hunting on Ministry of Defence land.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation, including the banning of trail hunting. Licenses to trail hunt on Ministry of Defence (MOD) land are currently under Ministerial review. To date, no licenses to trail hunt on MOD land have been granted for the 2024-25 hunting season, pending Ministerial review.
The MOD is in discussion with other Government Departments on this policy and we hope to provide an update on progress shortly.