Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what rank those participating in the Armed Forces Foundation Scheme will hold in the a) Army, b) Royal Navy and c) Royal Air Force.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Armed Forces Foundation Year Scheme (‘Gap Year’) helps deliver on the Strategic Defence Review 2025’s recommendation that Defence must offer novel ways of entry into the Armed Forces that attract more people from a wider range of backgrounds; options included offering shorter commitments that appeal to more of society.
The Services are finalising their Gap Year plans, including the specifics on terms of engagement, professional training and military qualifications. Services will have the flexibility to provide the most appropriate employment, experiences and skills that offer best value to both participants and Defence. It is intended that participants will be remunerated with equivalency to Regular personnel, with pay, allowances and pension arrangements to be finalised prior to implementation.
The schemes will start as a pilot during 2026, to understand the impact and measure success. The pilot is expected to include 150 entrants, with an intention to increase capacity for future cohorts. The total cost to Defence to deliver the pilot scheme is £13M, which will be drawn from existing training and workforce budgets. No costing has yet been completed for future cohorts; which will be informed by the pilot scheme.
Participants will undertake their Foundation Years in the enlisted recruit entry rank for each Service, on enlisted terms of engagement. Following completion of training, Royal Navy participants will be classed as Able Seaman Class 2, Army participants will be classed as Private soldiers (or capbadge equivalent) and RAF participants will be classed as Air Specialist 2.
The Royal Navy is developing a one-year scheme for sailors with employment offered across operational surface platforms in non-technical activities with participants living and working alongside sailors on ships at sea.
The Army is developing an 18-month training scheme, with roles varied across specific trades in the Infantry, Royal Artillery and Royal Logistic Corps.
The RAF is developing a one-year programme which will involve participants working alongside Regulars from the RAF’s twelve professions, working across all departments and gaining an understanding of the potential roles available within the RAF.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the projected cost of the Armed Forces Foundation Scheme is in (a) 2026-27, (b) 2027-28 and (c) 2028-29.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Armed Forces Foundation Year Scheme (‘Gap Year’) helps deliver on the Strategic Defence Review 2025’s recommendation that Defence must offer novel ways of entry into the Armed Forces that attract more people from a wider range of backgrounds; options included offering shorter commitments that appeal to more of society.
The Services are finalising their Gap Year plans, including the specifics on terms of engagement, professional training and military qualifications. Services will have the flexibility to provide the most appropriate employment, experiences and skills that offer best value to both participants and Defence. It is intended that participants will be remunerated with equivalency to Regular personnel, with pay, allowances and pension arrangements to be finalised prior to implementation.
The schemes will start as a pilot during 2026, to understand the impact and measure success. The pilot is expected to include 150 entrants, with an intention to increase capacity for future cohorts. The total cost to Defence to deliver the pilot scheme is £13M, which will be drawn from existing training and workforce budgets. No costing has yet been completed for future cohorts; which will be informed by the pilot scheme.
Participants will undertake their Foundation Years in the enlisted recruit entry rank for each Service, on enlisted terms of engagement. Following completion of training, Royal Navy participants will be classed as Able Seaman Class 2, Army participants will be classed as Private soldiers (or capbadge equivalent) and RAF participants will be classed as Air Specialist 2.
The Royal Navy is developing a one-year scheme for sailors with employment offered across operational surface platforms in non-technical activities with participants living and working alongside sailors on ships at sea.
The Army is developing an 18-month training scheme, with roles varied across specific trades in the Infantry, Royal Artillery and Royal Logistic Corps.
The RAF is developing a one-year programme which will involve participants working alongside Regulars from the RAF’s twelve professions, working across all departments and gaining an understanding of the potential roles available within the RAF.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what Phase 2 training and/or qualifications will those participating in the Armed Forces Foundation Scheme receive.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Armed Forces Foundation Year Scheme (‘Gap Year’) helps deliver on the Strategic Defence Review 2025’s recommendation that Defence must offer novel ways of entry into the Armed Forces that attract more people from a wider range of backgrounds; options included offering shorter commitments that appeal to more of society.
The Services are finalising their Gap Year plans, including the specifics on terms of engagement, professional training and military qualifications. Services will have the flexibility to provide the most appropriate employment, experiences and skills that offer best value to both participants and Defence. It is intended that participants will be remunerated with equivalency to Regular personnel, with pay, allowances and pension arrangements to be finalised prior to implementation.
The schemes will start as a pilot during 2026, to understand the impact and measure success. The pilot is expected to include 150 entrants, with an intention to increase capacity for future cohorts. The total cost to Defence to deliver the pilot scheme is £13M, which will be drawn from existing training and workforce budgets. No costing has yet been completed for future cohorts; which will be informed by the pilot scheme.
Participants will undertake their Foundation Years in the enlisted recruit entry rank for each Service, on enlisted terms of engagement. Following completion of training, Royal Navy participants will be classed as Able Seaman Class 2, Army participants will be classed as Private soldiers (or capbadge equivalent) and RAF participants will be classed as Air Specialist 2.
The Royal Navy is developing a one-year scheme for sailors with employment offered across operational surface platforms in non-technical activities with participants living and working alongside sailors on ships at sea.
The Army is developing an 18-month training scheme, with roles varied across specific trades in the Infantry, Royal Artillery and Royal Logistic Corps.
The RAF is developing a one-year programme which will involve participants working alongside Regulars from the RAF’s twelve professions, working across all departments and gaining an understanding of the potential roles available within the RAF.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the full scope of the Armed Forces Foundation Scheme for under-25s.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Armed Forces Foundation Year Scheme (‘Gap Year’) helps deliver on the Strategic Defence Review 2025’s recommendation that Defence must offer novel ways of entry into the Armed Forces that attract more people from a wider range of backgrounds; options included offering shorter commitments that appeal to more of society.
The Services are finalising their Gap Year plans, including the specifics on terms of engagement, professional training and military qualifications. Services will have the flexibility to provide the most appropriate employment, experiences and skills that offer best value to both participants and Defence. It is intended that participants will be remunerated with equivalency to Regular personnel, with pay, allowances and pension arrangements to be finalised prior to implementation.
The schemes will start as a pilot during 2026, to understand the impact and measure success. The pilot is expected to include 150 entrants, with an intention to increase capacity for future cohorts. The total cost to Defence to deliver the pilot scheme is £13M, which will be drawn from existing training and workforce budgets. No costing has yet been completed for future cohorts; which will be informed by the pilot scheme.
Participants will undertake their Foundation Years in the enlisted recruit entry rank for each Service, on enlisted terms of engagement. Following completion of training, Royal Navy participants will be classed as Able Seaman Class 2, Army participants will be classed as Private soldiers (or capbadge equivalent) and RAF participants will be classed as Air Specialist 2.
The Royal Navy is developing a one-year scheme for sailors with employment offered across operational surface platforms in non-technical activities with participants living and working alongside sailors on ships at sea.
The Army is developing an 18-month training scheme, with roles varied across specific trades in the Infantry, Royal Artillery and Royal Logistic Corps.
The RAF is developing a one-year programme which will involve participants working alongside Regulars from the RAF’s twelve professions, working across all departments and gaining an understanding of the potential roles available within the RAF.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether those participating in the Armed Forces Foundation Scheme be able to deploy overseas in a) training exercises or b) operations.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Armed Forces Foundation Year Scheme (‘Gap Year’) helps deliver on the Strategic Defence Review 2025’s recommendation that Defence must offer novel ways of entry into the Armed Forces that attract more people from a wider range of backgrounds; options included offering shorter commitments that appeal to more of society.
The Services are finalising their Gap Year plans, including the specifics on terms of engagement, professional training and military qualifications. Services will have the flexibility to provide the most appropriate employment, experiences and skills that offer best value to both participants and Defence. It is intended that participants will be remunerated with equivalency to Regular personnel, with pay, allowances and pension arrangements to be finalised prior to implementation.
The schemes will start as a pilot during 2026, to understand the impact and measure success. The pilot is expected to include 150 entrants, with an intention to increase capacity for future cohorts. The total cost to Defence to deliver the pilot scheme is £13M, which will be drawn from existing training and workforce budgets. No costing has yet been completed for future cohorts; which will be informed by the pilot scheme.
Participants will undertake their Foundation Years in the enlisted recruit entry rank for each Service, on enlisted terms of engagement. Following completion of training, Royal Navy participants will be classed as Able Seaman Class 2, Army participants will be classed as Private soldiers (or capbadge equivalent) and RAF participants will be classed as Air Specialist 2.
The Royal Navy is developing a one-year scheme for sailors with employment offered across operational surface platforms in non-technical activities with participants living and working alongside sailors on ships at sea.
The Army is developing an 18-month training scheme, with roles varied across specific trades in the Infantry, Royal Artillery and Royal Logistic Corps.
The RAF is developing a one-year programme which will involve participants working alongside Regulars from the RAF’s twelve professions, working across all departments and gaining an understanding of the potential roles available within the RAF.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what pension scheme will people participating in the Armed Forces Foundation Scheme be eligible for.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Armed Forces Foundation Year Scheme (‘Gap Year’) helps deliver on the Strategic Defence Review 2025’s recommendation that Defence must offer novel ways of entry into the Armed Forces that attract more people from a wider range of backgrounds; options included offering shorter commitments that appeal to more of society.
The Services are finalising their Gap Year plans, including the specifics on terms of engagement, professional training and military qualifications. Services will have the flexibility to provide the most appropriate employment, experiences and skills that offer best value to both participants and Defence. It is intended that participants will be remunerated with equivalency to Regular personnel, with pay, allowances and pension arrangements to be finalised prior to implementation.
The schemes will start as a pilot during 2026, to understand the impact and measure success. The pilot is expected to include 150 entrants, with an intention to increase capacity for future cohorts. The total cost to Defence to deliver the pilot scheme is £13M, which will be drawn from existing training and workforce budgets. No costing has yet been completed for future cohorts; which will be informed by the pilot scheme.
Participants will undertake their Foundation Years in the enlisted recruit entry rank for each Service, on enlisted terms of engagement. Following completion of training, Royal Navy participants will be classed as Able Seaman Class 2, Army participants will be classed as Private soldiers (or capbadge equivalent) and RAF participants will be classed as Air Specialist 2.
The Royal Navy is developing a one-year scheme for sailors with employment offered across operational surface platforms in non-technical activities with participants living and working alongside sailors on ships at sea.
The Army is developing an 18-month training scheme, with roles varied across specific trades in the Infantry, Royal Artillery and Royal Logistic Corps.
The RAF is developing a one-year programme which will involve participants working alongside Regulars from the RAF’s twelve professions, working across all departments and gaining an understanding of the potential roles available within the RAF.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what will the terms of engagement be for those participating in the Armed Forces Foundation Scheme.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Armed Forces Foundation Year Scheme (‘Gap Year’) helps deliver on the Strategic Defence Review 2025’s recommendation that Defence must offer novel ways of entry into the Armed Forces that attract more people from a wider range of backgrounds; options included offering shorter commitments that appeal to more of society.
The Services are finalising their Gap Year plans, including the specifics on terms of engagement, professional training and military qualifications. Services will have the flexibility to provide the most appropriate employment, experiences and skills that offer best value to both participants and Defence. It is intended that participants will be remunerated with equivalency to Regular personnel, with pay, allowances and pension arrangements to be finalised prior to implementation.
The schemes will start as a pilot during 2026, to understand the impact and measure success. The pilot is expected to include 150 entrants, with an intention to increase capacity for future cohorts. The total cost to Defence to deliver the pilot scheme is £13M, which will be drawn from existing training and workforce budgets. No costing has yet been completed for future cohorts; which will be informed by the pilot scheme.
Participants will undertake their Foundation Years in the enlisted recruit entry rank for each Service, on enlisted terms of engagement. Following completion of training, Royal Navy participants will be classed as Able Seaman Class 2, Army participants will be classed as Private soldiers (or capbadge equivalent) and RAF participants will be classed as Air Specialist 2.
The Royal Navy is developing a one-year scheme for sailors with employment offered across operational surface platforms in non-technical activities with participants living and working alongside sailors on ships at sea.
The Army is developing an 18-month training scheme, with roles varied across specific trades in the Infantry, Royal Artillery and Royal Logistic Corps.
The RAF is developing a one-year programme which will involve participants working alongside Regulars from the RAF’s twelve professions, working across all departments and gaining an understanding of the potential roles available within the RAF.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Urgent Question HMP Leyhill: Offender Abscondments, how many of the 57 prisoner abscondments that occurred in 2025 remained at large as of 1 January 2026.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
There were 57 absconds in the year ending March 2025. Data on absconds is published annually in the HMPPS Annual Digest: HMPPS Annual Digest 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK. This only includes a 30-day reference point for whether prisoners remained at large. Data for April 2025 to March 2026 will be published in July 2026 as part of the next HMPPS Annual Digest.
Public protection is our top priority. When a prisoner absconds, police are immediately notified and are responsible for locating the offender. The majority of absconders are quickly recaptured and returned to custody.
Those who abscond face serious consequences, including being returned to closed prison conditions where they may serve up to two additional years on conviction. Prisoners subject to parole decisions will likely face longer before they are released.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the approval rate percentage of shotgun licence renewals within the target timeframe for Cambridgeshire Constabulary compared to the national average.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The issuing of firearms certificates, resourcing of firearms licensing teams and the efficiency of police forces, including the timeframe taken for processing shotgun licence renewals, is a matter for individual Chief Officers of Police and Police and Crime Commissioners. Cambridgeshire Constabulary, Bedfordshire Police and Hertfordshire Constabulary work together on firearms licensing as part of a tripartite arrangement between the forces and report to each of the relevant Chief Officers.
The Home Office does not routinely collect data on the percentage of shotgun licence renewal applications that are approved within the target time of four months for each police force.
However, the National Policing Chiefs Council (NPCC) lead for Firearms Licensing now publishes quarterly performance data for firearms licensing in all police forces in England and Wales. The data is published on the NPCC website at firearms-licensing-2526-q2-headlines.pdf and includes a combined percentage figure for the number of applications for the grant and renewal of licensing applications completed within four months of their receipt, including for Cambridgeshire Constabulary.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the size of the processing backlog for firearms licensing applications in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The issuing of firearms certificates, resourcing of firearms licensing teams and the efficiency of police forces, including tackling any backlogs, is a matter for individual Chief Officers of Police and Police and Crime Commissioners. Cambridgeshire Constabulary, Bedfordshire Police and Hertfordshire Constabulary, work together on firearms licensing as part of a tripartite arrangement between the forces and reports to each of the relevant Chief Officers.
However, with the agreement of Chief Officers, and in the interests of greater transparency, the National Policing Chiefs Council (NPCC) Lead for Firearms Licensing has since 2025 been publishing quarterly performance data for firearms licensing in all police forces in England and Wales. The data is published on the NPCC website at firearms-licensing-2526-q2-headlines.pdf. This data includes a new performance target for forces to complete applications for the grant or renewal of firearm and shotgun certificates within four months of receipt. We welcome this greater transparency and forces making improvements in performance, subject to ensuring public safety remains the priority and suitability checks are carried out properly.
There is also an ongoing firearms licensing thematic inspection by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) that will report later this year. The thematic inspection is looking at a number of forces, and this includes the firearms licensing arrangements and performance in Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.