Oral Answers to Questions

Beccy Cooper Excerpts

Monday 18th November 2024 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Dr Beccy Cooper (Worthing West) (Lab)]

1. What steps he is taking to improve service life for serving personnel and their families.

[The Secretary of State for Defence (John Healey)]

Over the last year, service morale fell to record lows, with over 300 more full-time personnel leaving the forces than joining each month. We cannot reverse these deep-set problems overnight, but this Government are putting people at the heart of our defence plans, and today will see the Second Reading of our legislation to establish an independent Armed Forces Commissioner to improve service life.

[Dr Cooper]

The package announced this weekend of 20 hours of funded wraparound childcare for families deployed overseas is very welcome. Can the Minister please assure us that this type of practical assistance will be a fundamental pillar of the Government’s support for forces families?

[John Healey]

I can indeed. Supporting our service families is really important, especially when they are far from home, and this scheme will reduce the burden of childcare costs for those eligible families overseas. This is a Government who are delivering for defence and putting our forces personnel at the heart of our defence plans.