Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of (a) expanding the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme and (b) replicating that scheme to cover emergency services personnel.

The Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) encourages employers to pledge, demonstrate or advocate support to defence and the Armed Forces community, and align their values with the Armed Forces Covenant.

ERS now comprises 8,000+ employers which represents an increase of approximately 550 employers from last year. With the scheme performing well, there are no plans to expand it.

As emergency services personnel are not within the remit of the Secretary of State for Defence, there are no plans to replicate the scheme to cover them.