Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of differences between the pension entitlements of reservists in the Army and reservists in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force on retention levels in the Army Reserves.

All Reserve Forces in the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force who joined from 1 April 2015 are members of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) 15.

Pension entitlements are one of a variety of financial incentives offered by the Department to attract and retain Reservists.

Other Departmental financial incentives include a daily pay rate, which increases as Reservists rise through the ranks, paid leave, and an additional annual tax-free bounty received on achieving criteria.

The Department regularly re-evaluates the wider offer made to Reservists, identifying new ways to retain our talented Service people. Currently, for example, the Department is reviewing Reservist training and working to identify further operational opportunities.