Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how his Department plans to respond to the results of the Armed Forces continuous attitude survey that only 40 per cent of regular personnel are satisfied with service life.

The 2018 Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey (AFCAS) demonstrates that 55% of personnel are satisfied with their job in general and 47% are satisfied with the sense of achievement they get from their work.

The management of morale in the Armed Forces is a high priority for Defence. The Department seeks to measure morale in a robust, consistent and scientific manner, through forums such as the AFCAS.

We have launched the Armed Forces Families Strategy and the Armed Forces Covenant to improve the Service Offer and lived experience of Service personnel. We are also developing a number of other initiatives under the Armed Forces People Programme which is focused on modernising the employment offer for Service personnel to allow us to attract and retain the right mix of people and skills.