Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of training opportunities for reservists in the last 12 months.

We recognise that Reservists must balance their civilian commitments and home life with the vital service they provide to Defence. The MOD is therefore committed to ensuring that we tailor training opportunities to Reservist needs wherever possible

For basic (Phase 1) and trade-specific (Phase 2) training, for example, the Army schedules courses specifically to try to maximise attendance, allowing for richer and more productive training. A wide array of learning pathways are also provided to reservists across all three Services. These include e-learning, modular courses run over weekends and evening, and hybrid learning, this provides the flexibility to allow Reservists to complete courses in a way that fits around their existing commitments.

Reservist recruitment and training remains an area for improvement as part of Defence’s effort to deliver a more efficient, effective and modern recruiting system.