Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on ensuring that commonwealth personnel are able to bring family members to the UK.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) continues to work very closely with the Home Office regarding the implications of the Minimum Income Requirement and visa costs for all Service personnel and their families, including those we have recruited from the Commonwealth. The MOD has previously articulated the specific circumstances which Service personnel from outside the UK, including the Commonwealth, face when choosing to serve our country and what this potentially means for family life. It is, however, a complex policy area with potentially wide-ranging ramifications.