Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether skills training is available for veterans who have been medically discharged from the armed forces.

Yes, Service leavers who are being, or are likely to be, medically discharged are entitled to all elements of the Core Resettlement Programme (CRP) plus the Specialist Support Programme (SSP) which are provided by the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) Career Transition Partnership (CTP) with Right Management Ltd (the delivery contractor).

The CRP provides access to vocational training so that transferable skills which Service leavers develop during their time in the Armed Forces are accredited to equivalent civilian qualifications. The CRP can also be used to gain new skills and qualifications.

The SSP is a vocational assessment and gives access to a specialist employment consultant who helps to create a bespoke resettlement plan. This specialist resettlement pathway (CTP Assist) delivers an individually tailored, needs based service to those Service personnel who face the greatest barriers to employment given their medical condition. The MOD provides funding and other support to enable access to required training.

The MOD recognises that medically discharged Service leavers often need longer in resettlement than other leavers to achieve vocational success. Since February 2013, all medically discharging personnel and those assessed as likely to medically discharge, can start resettlement as soon as it is appropriate for the individual. For those who are not able to undertake resettlement activities because of their medical condition, it is possible to defer resettlement for up to two years after discharge and, in extreme cases resettlement provision may be transferred to the spouse, civil partner or a nominated proxy of the Service leaver.