Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of moving parental and compassionate leave requests outside of the direct chain of command.

The Ministry of Defence recognises that Service personnel must be able to balance the demands of military service with their family and personal responsibilities. We are committed to providing fair, compassionate and accessible parental and compassionate leave policies across the Armed Forces, ensuring personnel receive appropriate support at significant moments in their lives while maintaining operational effectiveness.

It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the hon. Member's Questions. I will write to her when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the library of The House.