Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Chi Onwurah and Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton

Monday 13th March 2017 Commons Chamber

[Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab)]

5. What assessment he has made of the adequacy of support available to veterans entering the civilian workforce.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mark Lancaster)]

The Department’s career transition partnership provides a robust and effective system to support service personnel entering the civilian workforce. The CTP provides one-to-one advice and guidance, and training and employment opportunities to about 15,000 service personnel each year.

[Chi Onwurah]

It is entirely unacceptable that the unemployment rate for veterans should be a third higher than that for non-veterans. Service personnel have told me that they might find it difficult to translate their important experience on the battlefield into the softer skills that industry requires today, such as teamwork, management and communication skills. What is the Minister specifically doing to address that point?

[Mark Lancaster]

I have no idea where the hon. Lady gets her facts from and I am slightly worried that we seem to be talking veterans down again. As a result of the CTP, some 85% of our service personnel find employment within six months—some 10% higher than the figure for the UK population as a whole.