Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve morale in the armed forces; and if he will make a statement.

This Government is determined to protect and improve the morale of the Service personnel who contribute and sacrifice so much for our country. That is why we enshrined the Armed Forces Covenant in law and put our people at the centre of policy making and delivery. We have introduced a raft of measures to improve Service life, including improved welfare support, the £200 million Forces Help to Buy scheme and a permanent commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant through a £10 million per annum fund which starts this year.

These efforts are yielding clear dividends, and I am pleased that the recently published 2015 Armed Forces continuous attitude survey demonstrates an increase in officers who rate their morale as high - up from 41% in 2014 to 45% in 2015 - while the same figure for other ranks remains level at 39%. It is also noteworthy that the number of Service personnel who would recommend others to join the Armed Forces has increased from 41% to 47%. These figures are encouraging, especially when viewed against the context of the tough decisions around headcount reductions and pay restraint.

I recognise that more remains to be done, and we will continue to strive to ensure that our Armed Forces feel valued and that their contribution and sacrifice is recognised, including through the development of the New Employment Model which aims to produce a modernised offer that reduces the impact of Service life on individuals and their families. We remain on course to meet Future Force 2020 targets as we move towards the agile and flexible force needed to keep us safe at home and abroad.