Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an estimate of the number of serving Armed Forces that have used food banks in the last 12 months.

The Ministry of Defence does not collect or hold information on the use of food banks by either military or civilian personnel. Any decision to use a food bank is a private and personal matter for the individual concerned

Defence recognises that nobody is immune from the recent rises in inflation and the cost of living and is committed to doing what we can to assist Armed Forces personnel where possible, including implementing the independent Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body’s 2022 pay award recommendations in full, a pay uplift of 3.75%; capping subsidised accommodation charge increases to 1%; increasing travel allowances by 7%; no rise in food charges; over 32,000 Service personnel have received a Contribution in Lieu of Council Tax rebate of £150; and families can save around £3,400 per child per year through our wraparound childcare.