Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the prevalence of social isolation and loneliness in the armed forces community.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) values the work of the Royal British Legion (RBL) and its report "Loneliness and Social Isolation in the Armed Forces Community". Officials have engaged with the RBL on the recommendations of this report which is assisting us shape our work on the Strategy for our Veterans and the development of a new transition policy to better prepare our Service leavers for life after leaving the Armed Forces. This includes work on developing resilience for the future and identifying those who may need additional help.

The MOD continues to engage with the Service Families Federations and is actively engaged with the welfare and issues of families in isolated locations. A question on loneliness has been introduced into the annual Families Continuous Attitude Survey. This will give the Department a better understanding of the prevalence of loneliness, and whether there are any factors associated with the risk of loneliness. The data will also contribute to cross-Government understanding of the prevalence of loneliness across society.