Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department is taking steps to provide childcare to parents who serve in the armed forces.

We recognise that appropriate childcare provision can be challenging for parents who serve in the Armed Forces and continue to explore options for improving support to our personnel in affording and accessing it.

Although the responsibility for childcare provision lies elsewhere within Government and is not a core Defence output, many Defence sites within the UK provide opportunities for local childcare providers to make use of facilities on, or close to, the Defence estate. These settings can also benefit the local civilian community. Overseas, we have extended Wraparound Childcare to families serving overseas which will potentially save up to £3,400 annually for Service families.