Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Armed Forces Covenant Annual Report 2013, page 13, what progress has been made on the Partner Employment Project; and if he will make a statement.

The mobile nature of Service life can create a particular difficulty for working partners who often give up their own jobs to accompany Service personnel. The Partner Employment Project (PEP), as part of the New Employment Model (NEM) programme, is focused on addressing the barriers that hinder spousal employment.

The PEP continues to support the delivery of two LIBOR-funded programmes which provide, respectively, employability and business start-up workshops: the LifeWorks for Families programme run by the Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI) and the ‘Supporting the Unsung Hero’ Business Start-Up programme run by the University of Wolverhampton. These two-year programmes started in October 2013 and I am pleased to say that over 200 spouses have already benefited. Demand is such that this year both programmes are delivering extra bespoke workshops in Germany and Cyprus. RBLI are also delivering a course in Belgium to support serving personnel serving in NATO, as well as developing a remotely accessed programme to enable them to reach more spouses flexibly.

Childcare provision is another key issue. Although not formally part of the PEP, a childcare study has been conducted by the MOD’s Director of Children and Young People which reviews what childcare support Service personnel currently access, identifies best practice, and considers how best to use the £20 million LIBOR funds allocated to the MOD to improve childcare infrastructure. The findings of the study are currently being considered and will be shared later in the autumn.