Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support veterans into employment.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) ensures that Armed Forces personnel can serve safe in the knowledge that when they leave active service they will be well supported to translate their acquired skills, experience and qualifications into the second career they aspire to. Service life is positive in this regard and the skills Service leavers possess are in demand from UK employers who recognise the benefits of bringing this talent into their organisation.

To support this the MOD has a robust and effective resettlement system in place - this includes the highly successful Career Transition Partnership (CTP) which has helped 85 per cent of Service Leavers in 2014/15 find sustainable employment within six months of leaving the Armed Forces. This is particularly notable when compared to an employment rate of 73 per cent in the General UK population. The CTP is the MOD's official provider of resettlement services to those leaving the Armed Forces and provides one-to-one guidance, training and signposts employment opportunities to about 15,000 Service Leavers.

All personnel are eligible for the CTP resettlement provision including those medically discharged, or leaving the Armed Forces due to redundancy. Personnel with less than four years' Service receive CTP Future Horizons. Personnel with between four and five years' Service receive the Employment Support Programme. Personnel with at least six years' Service receive an enhanced service - the Core Resettlement Programme. These free resettlement services are offered to all ranks of Service personnel and offers flexible support which can be accessed two years before discharge, through to two years post discharge in order to ensure that making the transition to civilian life is as smooth as possible.