Armed Forces (Flexible Working) Bill [HL]

Earl of Listowel Excerpts

Committee: 1st sitting (Hansard): House of Lords
Tuesday 12th September 2017 Grand Committee

As I mentioned at Second Reading, we have a communications plan in force already to build on the reality of the flexible duties trial. I wrote further to noble Lords in mid-July to explain how the availability of flexible working is going to be made known across the services, and I hope I assured your Lordships that the MoD has an effective communications plan in place that is well under way with a range of activities delivered through a variety of channels and mediums aimed at key stakeholders. Our plan is designed to ensure that our activities peak at key moments as we progress towards implementation of these new arrangements in 2019. As well as informing our people about the new opportunities, the communications plan aims to influence military culture and attitudes to part-time working and enable the cultural change required to ensure that flexible working is successfully implemented. Service chiefs have been and will continue to be engaged with the process. They will oversee the cascading of communications down through their commands to ensure that service personnel are aware of the new opportunities that are being introduced. Therefore, given the amount of activity that is already under way and the additional activities that we plan to undertake, I do not believe it is necessary for the Bill to be amended. I hope, following those assurances, that the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Craig, will agree to withdraw his amendment.

[The Earl of Listowel (CB)]

My Lords, listening to the Minister’s comments and reflecting on the discussions on the Bill, I understand that the children of many service personnel have quite difficult journeys into adulthood, with a lot of disruption. Looking at the new provisions in Clauses 1 and 2, am I right in thinking that the Bill will make it easier for parents with young children to remain close to those children if they choose to do so, and might it reduce the disruption to those children’s lives? Might that be the effect of the Bill?

[Earl Howe]

Certainly. Although that is not the whole rationale, the provisions that we are proposing to introduce are designed to be family-friendly—for example, for women considering starting a family or those with caring commitments, or those who are bringing up a family and, for any reason at all, there are personal circumstances that create difficulties for them. That could be a very good reason for somebody to apply to work part-time on a temporary basis. So I agree with the noble Earl.