Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department is taking steps to encourage employers to provide a minimum two weeks additional leave for all British Army reservists.

The Ministry of Defence works very closely with reservist employers to maximise the support we provide to our reservists in all three Services. As part of this, we encourage employers to provide a minimum of 10 days additional paid leave to allow reservists to complete their training throughout the year.

At the present time, we judge 10 days additional leave to be the right balance between employment and reserve service, allowing employees to fulfil their commitments both to their employer and to the nation.

At the end of May 2022, a total of 8,691 employers and organisations had signed the Armed Forces Covenant (AFC). AFC signings have shown sustained and consistent growth in the past few years. Each of these organisations has a relationship with Defence managed by the Defence Relationship Management team, either nationally via one of a number of National Account Managers, or regionally via a Regional Employer Engagement Director (REED).

Once organisations have signed the AFC, we encourage them to join the Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS). Currently we have 493 Gold ERS winners, 1,265 Silver, and 4,573 Bronze. Silver ERS winners are required to provide at least five days additional paid leave for reservist training. Gold winners are required to provide 10 days additional paid leave for training. We therefore have a growing cohort of employers seeking a formal relationship with Defence, each of which is encouraged to provide additional paid leave for training.