Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to reduce the proportion of army personnel that cannot be sent overseas due to medical reasons.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 February 2019 to Question 216134 to the hon. Member for Romford (Mr Andrew Rosindell).

For the Army, the health and wellbeing of personnel is a priority. A range of initiatives and policies are continuously being developed and implemented to address the conditions which most frequently cause medical downgrades.

The introduction earlier this year of new Physical Employment Standards for Ground Close Combat (GCC) roles followed evidence from research as part of a five-year programme that aims to reduce musculo-skeletal injury and optimise operational effectiveness. Work is now under way to develop the most suitable standards for non-GCC roles.

Additionally, there are a number of initiatives that aim to provide long-term support to address poor lifestyle choices and weight management issues, which we recognise as an issue for modern society. For example, some units are trialling a Healthy Living programme, using wearable technology linked to an online application which aims to instil a personal responsibility culture for soldiers to maintain their fitness.