Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the attainment of Cadet Expansion Programme targets.

The Cadet Expansion Programme aimed to have 500 cadet units parading in schools by March 2020. This target was met five months early in November 2019. The Government’s ambition is to now grow the number of cadets attending these units to 60,000 by 2024.

COVID-19 caused the closure of all secondary schools and the suspension of all face-to-face cadet activity from 17 March. Restarting activity in school cadet units will be at the Headteachers’ discretion, subject to Government guidance and will be secondary to efforts to return schools to normal service.

Cadet training personnel from the Services will be available to support school cadet units in returning to activity when Headteachers decide the time is right.