Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to require his Department and its agencies to provide a payroll deduction service to allow staff to save more easily with a credit union; and if he will make a statement.

Credit Union (CU) facilities for members of the Armed Forces have been in place since November 2015 and for veterans in receipt of an Armed Forces pension since March 2016. These CU facilities are also now open to the Ministry of Defence's civilian employees.

A facility is available for UK Regular Armed Forces personnel to access CU services via payroll deductions. For civilian employees, access to CU services is via direct debit. Three chosen CUs work together collectively under the banner 'Joining Forces' to provide access to dependable savings facilities and safe, affordable, loans. Further details are available from their website:

http://joiningforcescu.co.uk/