National Employer Advisory Board

Gavin Williamson Excerpts

Tuesday 6th March 2018 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Defence (Gavin Williamson)]

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has conducted a review of the role and status of the National Employer Advisory Board (NEAB), a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department.

The review found that the NEAB had made a major contribution to shaping Defence’s relationships with employers, particularly in connection with the Future Reserves 2020 White Paper (2013). However, although there was a continuing requirement for support in this area, the scale of need, in the foreseeable future, was unlikely to be sufficient to justify a standing board, constituted as a non-departmental public body, and committed to meeting a set number of times each year.

After careful consideration, I have decided that the NEAB should be dis-established with effect from 1 April 2018. In doing so, I have taken account of the growing success of defence relationship management (DRM)¹, and the emergence of other ad hoc sources of advice on employer issues, which together are now well placed to meet our current requirements in this area.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the chairman and individual members, past and present, for all they have done to support the MOD.

¹ Defence Relationship Management, a Future Reserves 2020 White Paper commitment, was created in 2014 to manage the MOD’s relationship with employers in support of the Defence People objectives including the recruitment and retention of reserves; resettlement of service leavers; rehabilitation of wounded, injured and sick; and improving employment opportunities for service spouses and partners.

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