Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of sharing details of servicemen and servicewomen leaving the armed forces with veterans charities.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) ensures that when Regular Armed Forces personnel leave Service they are well supported to translate their acquired skills, experience and qualifications into their next career in civilian life. The skills Service Leavers possess are in demand from UK employers who recognise the benefits of bringing this talent into their organisations. The vast majority of Service Leavers make a smooth transition from military to civilian life and do not require the support of Third Sector Organisations (TSOs).

The Ministry of Defence has no plans to share the personal details of all Service Leavers with Third Sector Organisations (TSOs). Systematically sharing Service Leavers’ data with TSOs would be a breach of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and, even if done with consent, would present a very significant administrative burden to TSOs as around 15,000 Service personnel leave the Regular Armed Forces each year.

Service Leavers potentially requiring support are referred to the MOD’s Veterans Welfare Service (VWS) who can provide relevant signposting to TSO support. The VWS works collaboratively with a range of statutory and voluntary agencies on individual casework in supporting veterans. Referrals are routinely made to a range of organisations, including ex-Service charities, but only with the express consent of the individuals, with only the appropriate levels of information being provided within the referral, in line with GDPR policy.