Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2015 to Question 4788, why figures pertaining to the number of army and RAF visits to schools in the academic years from 2012 to 2015 are lower than figures for earlier years provided during the last Parliament by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

The overall number of visits is dependent on a range of factors including the approach of the Army and RAF to engaging young people.

For the Army in particular, a more focused approach to engagement through the Army in Education programme may also have contributed to this reduction.

In addition, from 2012 to 2015 the RAF operated a system that sought to connect with pupils mainly through social media and marketing. This has changed and the emphasis is now on a return to personal contact and enhanced schools visits through the RAF 'Skills for Life' curriculum-based programme and its Schools Engagement Plan.

The Armed Forces will only ever visit a school by invitation from a teacher to support school activities.