Introduction

The Government welcomes the Committee's engagement on this issue and their Report. It is a useful vehicle to help us better to understand recruitment and retention challenges. We welcome the fact that the Committee acknowledges the impact that high operational tempo and stretch are having on recruitment and retention issues. The package we present to our potential and serving personnel contains many positive elements, but we keep it under constant review in the light of emerging pressures. The need to recognise and value personnel, their families and veterans was the driver for the undertakings outlined in our Command Paper 'The Nation's Commitment: Cross-Government Support to our Armed Forces, their Families and Veterans' published in July 2008.

We are encouraged that the ideas put forward in the Committee's Report for addressing recruitment and retention issues in the Armed Forces are, for the most part, ones which we have already identified and sought to address. We do not agree with the argument that we are not responding with 'sufficient flexibility and imagination'; we believe our creativity and determination in addressing these challenges is borne out by the evidence we provided to the Committee. We recognise that to improve recruitment and retention will take time and continued concerted effort. We are confident that the flexible and imaginative approach that we have taken in recent years has helped to sustain the supply of sufficient, capable and motivated personnel at a time of high operational tempo.

Current Manning Position

At 1 July 2008 the Armed Forces Trained Strength was 173,370, representing 96.8% of the requirement. There has been an 11.7% increase (2,250) in the number of new recruits who have joined the Armed Forces in the 12 months to 30 June 2008, compared to the previous year and a 12.6 increase (1,830) in the number of recruits who have joined the trained Strength of the Armed forces compared with the same period last year. The number of people leaving the trained strength in the 12 months to 30 June 2008 has decreased by 1.4% compared with the 12 months to 30 June 2007.

The number of people joining the Armed Forces for initial training is at its highest point since March 2004. The number completing training and moving into the deployable strength of the Armed Forces is also at its highest point since March 2005. The number of people leaving the trained strength is at its lowest since March 2006.

Response to Conclusions and Recommendations

WEB FORUM

1.  (Recommendation 1) The use of web fora provide us with an opportunity to hear the experiences of a wide range of current and former Service personnel and their families. We value this interaction. We welcome the Minister's support for our ability to communicate freely with the Service community. However, this is the second time we have had concerns that the MoD has attempted to undermine a web forum that we have hosted. We look to the MoD to demonstrate its support for our interaction with the Service community by actively promoting web fora we set up for future inquiries. (Paragraph 13)

The Ministry of Defence supports the House of Commons Defence Committee's interaction with the Service community and appreciates that the Committee views use of a web based forum as a positive method of engaging the community and obtaining useful input from both Serving personnel and their families.

Ministry of Defence instructions require serving personnel to seek appropriate authorisation before communicating in public on Defence matters in order to ensure that operational security is upheld and standards of political impartiality and public accountability are met. However, these instructions do not apply to contact with the House of Commons Defence Committee. It appears that in the past, some personnel mistakenly thought that they were applicable. The Committee will therefore wish to know that the guidance is currently being updated and the revised instructions will make it clear that separate arrangements apply for contact with the House of Commons Defence committee (and other parliamentary Select Committees).

PINCHPOINT TRADES

2.  (Recommendation 2) We are disappointed to note that between 2004 and 2008, the number of pinchpoint trades have increased across all Services. In the Army pinchpoint trades have increased by 15.4%, in the RAF by 63%, and in the Naval Service by 150%, so that there are now 30 pinchpoint trades in the Army, 31 in the RAF and 25 in the Naval Service. (Paragraph 36)

The Ministry of Defence expends considerable resources in addressing Pinch Point communities, which are often small groups of highly skilled personnel. Operational and Manning Pinch Points are reported against subjective criteria which, since 2003, have become progressively more rigorous. This has led, in part, to the increase in the number of trades as Pinch Points. For example, in 2005 Merlin Aircrew were reported as a single trade whereas in 2007-08 the trade has been reported as 3 separate entities: Pilots, Observers and Aircrewmen. Similarly Infantrymen are now reported as Infantrymen Private/Lance Corporal to add clarity. This rigour enables the single-Services to focus onto problem areas and to target resources to better effect.

Critical Manning Groups were included in the original memorandum to the Committee for completeness. They are not Pinch Points; they are trade groups which the single-Services have highlighted as potential areas of concern which, unless checked at an early stage, could develop into either an Operational Pinch Point or a Manning Pinch Point. Inclusion of the Critical Manning Groups demonstrated that the single-Services are alert to the dynamic nature of manning and are proactive rather than reactive. However, the Committee's inclusion of these Critical Manning Groups alongside the Pinch Points has exaggerated the degree of increase in Pinch Points. Nevertheless, we acknowledge that there has been an increase, attributable to high tempo of operations and specific manning issues, which are monitored and managed intensively.

ASSESSING ARMED FORCES RESPONSIVENESS

3.  (Recommendation 3) We are concerned that, on the basis of the information presented about PSA Target 3, Armed Forces Responsiveness, the Armed Forces have limited ability to meet future, as yet unknown, obligations. The MoD has said that PSA Target 3 provides an assessment of the level of pressure experienced by the Armed Forces and does not reflect on their ability to sustain current operations. As the MoD cannot predict or control the exact nature and timing of future operational requirements, we believe that its failure to meet this target points to a potentially serious weakness in the future capability of the Armed Forces. Furthermore, we question the purpose of a target which, given recent operational tempo, the MoD has no chance of meeting. (Paragraph 44)

The Ministry of Defence has continued to meet the Government's strategic objectives placed upon it. For the sixth consecutive year, in 2007-08 the Armed Forces have operated above the overall level of concurrent operations which they are resourced and structured to sustain. In operating at this raised level of activity over such a protracted period, Defence has inevitably reduced its capacity to be ready to react to the full range of contingent operations articulated in the planning assumptions. Whilst it is acknowledged that meeting the current operational commitments has impacted on the future capability of the Armed Forces to conduct contingent operations, this will be mitigated as concurrent operational commitments reduce.

ENGAGING WITH THE PUBLIC

4.  (Recommendation 4) We note that the sometimes negative media coverage about the Armed Forces is detrimental to the public's understanding of the military and places unnecessary pressure on Service personnel and their families. (Paragraph 47)

The Ministry of Defence agrees that negative media coverage is unhelpful and the Department is working hard to ensure that military activity is presented both in context and in a balanced fashion.

Greater effort is being made to ensure that Service personnel and their families are kept informed on important issues with increased use of Defence and single Service internet and intranet sites.

The Ministry of Defence is also in the process of implementing recommendations made by the Report of Inquiry into National Recognition of our Armed Forces which includes suggestions regarding engagement with the media with the aim of increasing balanced reporting. These specifically involve taking a more proactive approach by increasing the number of background briefings, expanding the programme of embedded media, increasing dialogue with the media to improve relationships, increasing the number of military personnel in the press office and making more use of other military personnel in handling news issues.

5.  (Recommendation 5) Any increase in contact between the Armed Forces and civilian society should be welcomed. We hope that the MoD gives due consideration to the proposals contained in the report on National Recognition of our Armed Forces. Budgetary constraints and the level of stretch currently experienced by the Armed Forces limit the extent to which the Services can build and maintain links with civilian society. However, we consider that these activities are central to ensuring the future success of the Armed Forces. The MoD should afford them high priority and ensure that they are adequately resourced. It is also important that decision makers in civilian society, including Members of Parliament and Local Government representatives, have an understanding of the military. We recommend that the MoD encourages more contact between the military and such groups to ensure that decisions which affect our Armed Forces are evidence based. (Paragraph 50)

The Ministry of Defence recognises the importance of engagement between the Armed Forces and civilian society in order to improve support and mutual understanding. The Department already goes to considerable lengths to encourage this, for example through arranging and participating in a range of public events from Navy Days to Air Shows and parades, and will continue to look for opportunities to do more within budgetary limitations and without adding to the high tempo of activity which our forces currently face.

The Ministry of Defence welcomed the recent report on National Recognition of our Armed Forces, which set out a number of practical recommendations including activities aimed at increasing the visibility of the Armed Forces to the general public, improving relations with the media, and improving contact with key opinion formers and stakeholders in civilian society, including Members of Parliament and Local Government representatives. Detailed work on implementation of these measures is underway and will be reported to Parliament shortly.

The 'Nations' Commitment' makes clear that co-operation and understanding between the military community and civilian society is vital both at local level and nationally within Government departments. That is why we will undertake a pilot to identify good practice and identify the most appropriate structures. This will enable specific commitments to be implemented and help to prevent the creation of future policy which inadvertently disadvantages Service personnel, families or veterans (see Command 7424, paragraph 4.4).

The Ministry of Defence fully endorses the Committee's comments on the importance of improving understanding of the military among civilian decision makers including Members of Parliament. The Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme has played an important role in this but we are also arranging briefings on issues of particular interest— for example protected patrol vehicles—and visits to operational theatres, in addition to encouraging units to engage with local opinion formers. We are working with the Industry and Parliament Trust to identify more opportunities for serving officers to gain a better understanding of Parliament, including through orientation courses and direct contact with Members of Parliament and Peers.

WORKING WITH SCHOOLS TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THE ARMED FORCES

6.  (Recommendation 6) The MoD does not appear to have adequately considered the delivery of its school visits programme, in particular how the geographical spread of visits and individual Service visits fit into broader objectives of increasing awareness of the Armed Forces. We recommend that the MoD considers the relationship between the historic geographic footprint of the Services and the benefits of school visits. We are concerned that by concentrating on those areas which already have an understanding of an individual Service—particularly for the Royal Navy and the RAF—the full benefits of working with schools to raise awareness and create links between the Armed Forces and civilian society will not be achieved. (Paragraph 55)

7.  (Recommendation 7) We are encouraged that in 2006 the MoD investigated how the content of its school visits programme could be improved and has identified a number of methods for achieving this. Outreach school visits and recruiting visits have different purposes and we agree with the MoD that it must keep them separate. We understand that the MoD is to undertake a detailed review of its schools programme. In its response to our Report, we expect the MoD to set out the terms of reference and timetable for that review. We consider that active, adventure based outreach programmes will be most successful. (Paragraph 56)

The Ministry of Defence agrees that close engagement between the Armed Forces and schools is important. There is already a considerable amount of activity and we are looking at how the relevant recommendations of the National Recognition Study can be taken forward, without adding to the high tempo of activity that our forces currently face.

Single Service analysis by region of the schools visited by the various Defence teams shows that, contrary to the conclusion drawn in the report, effort is not focussed primarily on those areas which already have an understanding of the Armed Forces and that school visits are broadly spread across the country. For example Royal Navy outreach typically takes place away from the main naval establishments and bases in areas that have less exposure to the Royal Navy than to the Royal Air Force and Army, both of which have a wider geographical spread, and find it much easier to use in-Service assets as an attraction at events. Similarly, schools visits by Royal Navy teams are more numerous outside of the traditional Royal Navy Base Port areas and they are particularly high in the North of England, although the highest level of activity is in the South East, reflecting the highest concentration of United Kingdom schools. Royal Navy Strategic Outreach School Visits by Recruiting Region*

Region	Royal Marine Sports Presentation Team	Royal Navy Physical Training Team	Royal Marine Chef Display Team	Role Models Scheme
Scotland & Northern Ireland	25	26	26	3
North England	60	42	17	8
Wales & West England	27	59	30	0
East England	35	61	41	3

* Dependent on source data the figures are for either the 12 month period April 2007-08 or July 2007-08 to give a 12 month sample.

The Army's geographical footprint of schools visits is extremely broad and effort is not just targeted at where we think we may get best effect, or at areas that have a prior knowledge of the Army. The schools outreach programme engages annually with an audience of about 500,000 children between year 9-12, through completion of over 7,000 activities.

Over the next 6 months the Royal Air Force are increasing the number of individuals dedicated to outreach in schools and the community from 27 to 81, to deliver better coverage of schools across the United Kingdom.

The Armed Forces' work in schools is designed to encourage good citizenship, raise awareness of the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces amongst young people, to provide positive information to influence future opinion formers and to enable recruiter's access to the school environment. To assist in this the Department also provides an online teaching resource 'Defence Dynamics' which is available free of charge to all schools and is marketed on a national basis, targeting all teachers in selected subject areas at least once a year. The Ministry of Defence agrees that it is right that outreach activity is kept separate from recruiting. However, a better informed youth cadre with a clearer understanding of both the role of the Armed Forces and the range of career opportunities available will lead to a larger, better informed potential candidate pool that will assist future recruitment effort.

The short review of Defence engagement with schools undertaken in 2006 identified the potential for making fuller and more effective use of curriculum resources and activities within schools. In response, the Ministry of Defence a undertook a comprehensive survey to collect information from across the Ministry of Defence, the Armed Forces, Ministry of Defence Agencies and Museums, Other Government Departments, Schools and Colleges, Cadets and other key stakeholders in order to inform future Ministry of Defence Curricular Policy. The results from this survey, produced in December 2007 recognised that a commendably wide range and good balance of activities were delivered by the Armed Forces but also that there was a need for a single point of oversight for all activity, better coordination between the various strands of engagement activity, and improved sharing of information and lessons. A copy of this report will be placed in the Library of the House of Commons.

8.  (Recommendation 8) The MoD told us that it would work with Members of Parliament to gain introductions to schools that have not developed contacts with the Armed Forces. We see this as a positive development and we look forward to working with the MoD to put it into practice. (Paragraph 57)

The Armed Forces only go to schools where they have been invited and schools in some areas are unwilling to allow access to the Armed Forces, particularly for recruiting purposes. The Ministry of Defence would welcome any assistance that the Members of Parliament could provide in overcoming these barriers to access and enabling the Armed Forces to develop productive relationships with more schools. We shall consult with the Committee on how best to give effect to our shared objective.

CADETS ROLE IN RAISING AWARENESS OF THE ARMED FORCES

9.  (Recommendation 9) We welcome the positive impact that the Cadet Forces can have on the lives of young people and we acknowledge the hard work of all those involved in making the Cadet Forces a success. We note that the MoD, in partnership with other Government Departments, is seeking to increase the number of Cadet Forces based in state schools. This is a welcome development which we feel will bring benefit to the young people concerned. It will also help to provide more opportunities for the public to engage with the Armed Forces. In its response to our Report, we expect the MoD to set out its plans and timetable for increasing the number of Cadet Forces based in state schools. We will monitor the MoD's progress carefully. (Paragraph 60)

10.  (Recommendation 10) We also welcome the fact that the MoD recognises that it needs to make changes to the constitutions of individual Cadet Forces to enable them to work together more easily. We believe that these changes will benefit future growth in the Cadet Forces. However, we do not consider that these changes will be possible unless the Cadet Forces are funded appropriately and that that funding is equitable across the four Cadet Forces. (Paragraph 61)

The Ministry of Defence is working with the single Services on the way forward for Cadets, including, identification of more effective ways of co-operative working, whilst maintaining the identities and ethos of the individual Cadet Forces. At local level significant levels of co-operation already exists with some areas holding tri-service Cadet Force meetings.

The Department is developing plans to increase the number of Cadet Forces based in State Schools as part of its work on a programme to deliver sustainable expansion of the Cadet Forces; this will encompass the Air Cadet Organisation's plans to expand by 20% over the next 10 years. This programme will be developed over the next 6 months and it is therefore not possible to set out a timetable at this time. This is not just a Defence activity as a national programme will require us to work with the Devolved Administrations as well as other Government departments and other interested stakeholders. However, 2 trials have been launched and these will help inform our way forward. In September 2007 we established new Combined Cadet Forces detachments in 6 State schools. As recently announced by Lord Adonis, as part of the Department for Children, Schools and Families' led London Challenge project, the Ministry of Defence is partnering 6 Independent schools with 6 neighbouring State schools. These partnerships will enable State school pupils to participate in cadet activities at their partnered Independent School.

Given our reliance on volunteers to run Cadet Force detachments, we need to ensure that the current support systems (including safety management, remuneration, recruitment and training) offer a sustainable baseline before we expand. Much of this work is already underway and will be developed further as part of our expansion planning and Project work.

We will also seek to identify additional sources of funding for Cadet Forces, either within Government or externally, to ensure that any expansion is sustainable.

RESERVISTS ROLE IN RAISING AWARENESS OF THE ARMED FORCES

11.  (Recommendation 11) We support the MoD's proposals to do more to encourage links between military and civilian society through the Reserve Forces. We look forward to the publication of the MoD's review of the Reserve Force and its findings about the Reserves role in developing the relationship between the Armed Forces and civilian society. (Paragraph 62)

By their very presence in the community, Reserve units offer significant potential to build on the existing links between the military and civilian society. One of the key tasks of the Ministry of Defence's strategic review of Reserve Forces is therefore to examine the links between reservists and their local communities and make proposals for improving these relationships. This review is expected to report in early 2009.

RECRUITING ENVIRONMENT

12.  (Recommendation 12) We note that the MoD is recruiting in a challenging economic environment. It is not consistently meeting its recruitment targets and therefore sufficient numbers are not entering the Armed Forces. We acknowledge that the MoD is trying to respond to a changing recruiting environment, although we do not think that it is responding quickly enough. We believe that current recruiting shortfalls will be even greater in the future, unless the MoD increases its success rate in recruiting women and ethnic minorities. We are also concerned that the MoD has not demonstrated that it is responding to changes in society, such as an ageing population and a growing demand for more flexible careers. If it is to remain an attractive employer, it needs to do so. (Paragraph 65)

The ability of the Armed Forces to recruit sufficient high calibre people of the right age is critical to the maintenance of operational effectiveness and the Ministry of Defence is working hard to respond to the challenging recruiting environment, both at national and local level. However, many of the recruitment issues do not apply solely to the Armed Forces, and we do not believe that the Department is reacting slowly to societal change. The effectiveness of recruiting initiatives is continuously reviewed and there is evidence that our endeavours are producing results. Whilst the overall recruiting target was not met in 2006-07, the number of recruits from civilian life has increased annually since the 2005-06 financial year, from 17,590 to 21,330.

Our Recruiting initiatives include:

• The use of dynamic multi-media advertising campaigns, including digital media.
• Services Presentation Teams' attendance in schools and at careers fairs, Graduate Recruitment Seminars, road shows, exhibitions and youth clubs.
• Specialist Teams to attract doctors, dentists, nurses, lawyers and padres by promoting Service careers within specialist recruitment shows and through professional bodies.
• A dedicated careers website for each of the Services complete with a dedicated information support call centre, and a number of 'on-line' recruiting offices.
• Work experience placements within Service Establishments.
• Personal Development Courses and Look at Life Courses for young people who express an interest in the Armed Forces.
• Taster Day visits to HM Ships and Service Establishments.
• Specialist Ethnic Minority Recruiting and Diversity Action Teams promoting Armed Forces careers and developing relationships with 'influencers' amongst the United Kingdom's Ethnic Minority and faith communities.
• Partnership with Jobcentre Plus, making use of its network of over 1100 local outlets.
• Financial Incentives, including "Golden Hellos" for those who have studied specific vocational subjects to a set level; and "Re-joining Bounties" to certain trades.

Terms and conditions of service are kept under continual review to ensure that they are fit for purpose and the Department is developing more flexible career structures which take into account the strategic analysis of demographics. Under consideration are career breaks and combinations of Regular and Reserve service allied to Defence Career Partnering and enhancing working relationships between Reserve Forces and industry/commerce. This work will also seek to aid women (and thus their recruitment) returning from maternity leave and complement the current childcare provision. The Armed Forces also keep the age limit criteria for entry under regular review.

With more young people opting for further education, the Ministry of Defence is working closely with the Department for Innovation Universities and Skills on the opportunities for the Armed Forces in proposals to extend formal learning and education to all up to 18 years of age.

The Ministry acknowledges that increasing the percentage of Ethnic Minority recruits to the target of 8% by 2013 is challenging, but the Department's partnership with the Equality and Human Rights Commission will assist understanding of the issues relating to the recruitment and retention of both Ethnic Minorities and females.

Royal Navy

Awareness of the Royal Navy within Ethnic Minority communities is increasing, albeit slowly, and the Royal Navy is gaining trust, enjoying the engagement and also benefiting from the abilities and attributes these young men and women bring to the Service. The Royal Navy has recently engaged in partnership with the ASIA MEDIA GROUP to increase its footprint across the UK. Careful utilisation of resources, sincere engagement with Communities and smart engagement with the Gatekeepers and influencers should increase awareness amongst the Ethnic Minority communities of the many opportunities for them in the Royal Navy. The Royal Navy is a member of the Race for Opportunity Organisation[1] and is ranked 10^th out of the 31 top performers in public sector for 2008. It is working with the Organisation on overcoming barriers to awareness of what the Royal Navy has to offer.

The Royal Navy features women across its marketing media, however, it is recognised that greater awareness of those policies and practices likely to affect females once they have joined is required in order to attract more females, for example the Armed Forces Occupational Maternity Scheme, and those relating to Sea-Goers with dependent children and the provision of nurseries at Defence locations. Work has therefore recently started on production of documentation to better equip Careers Advisers in this task. The Royal Navy is maintaining a focus on improving female retention.

Army

Although the recruiting target is not always achieved, the actual numbers of United Kingdom Ethnic Minority enlistments in the Army have, in the main, followed a rising trend. Until 2005-06, the Army used a specific Ethnic Minority Recruiting Campaign but this has been drawn into mainstream recruiting in the form of a 'Diversity Thread' which runs through all aspects of recruitment. The Diversity Thread has four key principles: it is an integral part of all recruiting activity; it is focused on 'inclusivity' (a more positive concept than Equal Opportunities and Diversity) and the value of each and every individual; it is underpinned by appropriate training and education and it is everybody's business.

Major Diversity Thread initiatives include:

A shift of resources to London, West Midlands and the East of England.

• Emphasis on the Asian communities including the Sikh Gurdwara (Southall) community.
• Developing the regional 'Flagship' projects to focus 'diversity' effort in the regions, engage local Regular and Territorial Army units with the UK ethnic minority communities and generate regional and national public relations.
• Mainstreaming the Diversity Thread in all sales and marketing activity, developing our customer focus to the point where all potential recruits feel a real sense of affinity to the Service.
• Greater use of the Territorial Army to develop community and individual contacts particularly in areas of high United Kingdom ethnic minority population.
• A Recruitment Plan to identify serving officers and soldiers willing to be used as role models.
• Dignity and Respect at Work Groups to test the 'customer journey' and quality assure Army policies. This has fed into the Training and Education programme and is helping develop the customer experience in Army Careers Information Officers and Armed Forces Careers Officers.
• Improved Training and Education of Regular and Territorial Army recruiting staffs with a reduced reliance on external consultants.
• Work to investigate increased emphasis on education and the provision of qualifications as a way to attract more Ethnic Minority recruits.

The Diversity Thread is also supporting our efforts to recruit more women into the Army. This work has commenced with advertising in specific media that have a majority female readership. Recruiting standards are gender-free and throughout Phase 1 (initial) training women are grouped into female platoons, or in the case of the Army Foundation College, Harrogate, female sections within male platoons. All Phase 2 Physical Training is single sex. This reflects differences in physiology and reduces wastage in training.

The Army has already made significant changes to terms of service to cater for the growing demand for flexible careers and an ageing population. In December 2006 it increased the maximum age limit for a soldier entrant. It has also moved to length of service-based, rather than age-based, terms of service. The Versatile Engagements for new entrant soldiers introduced in January 2008 will allow some individuals to serve for 30 years (rather than a maximum of 22) with further extensions in 6 year periods up to the normal retirement age of 55. We have also introduced Additional Duty Commitment for the Territorial Army, which allows Territorial Army soldiers to undertake specific military duties for up to 220 days per annum. This effectively enables Territorial Army soldiers to work part-time to suit the needs of Territorial Army units and individuals.

Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force has recently allocated significant additional resources to the recruiting and training effort, comprising a 45% increase (149 personnel) in the recruiting force and a further 50% increase in the marketing budget. It has endorsed a strategy that will improve the recruitment of females into those branches and trades, mostly technical, in which they are currently under-represented. This, and significant changes in focus of the drive to improve Ethnic Minority recruitment, underpins a number of objectives in the Combined Recruiting Youth and Gender High level Action Plan. These include:

• Continued operation of Ethnic Minority Motivational Outreach Teams specialising in outreach to those areas of the community with a greater percentage of Ethnic Minority residents. Teams will liaise with schools, local community gatekeepers, as well as youth groups to raise awareness of opportunities within the Royal Air Force.
• Development of marketing campaigns tailored to a female audience.
• Development and communication of diversity key messages for use in engagement with the public with the aim of making the Royal Air Force more attractive to the female and Ethnic Minority target audience.

Both the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force Liaise with external organizations including the United Kingdom Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology to learn best practice with regard to the recruitment of female and Ethnic Minority personnel.

13.  (Recommendation 13) We were told that a number of recent EU migrants to the United Kingdom had expressed an interest in enlisting in the British Armed Forces. In its response to our Report, we expect the MoD to provide us with an assessment of the impact that opening recruitment to EU migrants could have on the manning situation in the Armed Forces. (Paragraph 66)

In 1997-98 a comprehensive, Ministry of Defence Centre led, tri-Service review of the nationality eligibility criteria and United Kingdom residency rules for the Armed Forces entry was undertaken. This paved the way for a relaxation of both the nationality extraction rules, that is the rules governing an applicant's parents, and United Kingdom residency rules. However, the rules governing the nationality of the applicant remained unchanged in that the applicant had to be British, Commonwealth or from the Republic of Ireland.

This extensive nationality review also examined the position of European Union citizens, and other 'aliens'[2], and considered extending eligibility to them. It concluded that because of the nature of Armed Forces employment, with the need for affinity and loyalty to the employing State and with access to protectively marked material by foreign nationals being strictly controlled, any 'alien' recruits would have restricted careers which would have serious implications for manning operational capability. It was decided, therefore, not to allow European Union and other foreign citizens to become members of the Armed Forces. This has remained the position at successive reviews.

European Union (and other alien) migrants to the United Kingdom would be acceptable to the Armed Forces, welcomed and valued, once they had applied for and obtained British nationality. Aliens are not eligible for enlistment in the Regular Army, except in the Brigade of Gurkhas, unless they also have British citizenship i.e. are dual-nationals. When it comes into effect, the Armed Forces Act 2006 will also specifically prevent aliens from being members of the Armed Forces, other than Gurkhas serving in the Brigade of Gurkhas, Nepalese soldiers who transfer to the wider Army after a minimum of 5 years service in Brigade of Gurkhas and dual-nationals.

RECRUITING DIVERSITY

14.  (Recommendation 14) We call on the MoD to acknowledge that the figures it cites for the increase in ethnic minority representation—1% in 1999 and 6% in January 2008—are based on different data sets and are not directly comparable. (Paragraph 68)

The ethnic minority representation figure of 1% in 1999 is based on the ethnic origin categories contained in the 1991 Census. The 2001 Census introduced new ethnic origin categories and, in common with other public sector organisations, the Armed Forces undertook an ethnic origin resurvey of all personnel during 2002 and 2003. The ethnic minority representation figure of 6% in January 2008 is based on the new ethnic origin categories. It is therefore correct that it is not possible to make a direct comparison between the position in 1999 and that in 2008 using the same ethnic origin categories.

15.  (Recommendation 15) We are concerned that there is evidence which suggests that there is a widespread culture of complacency at many levels across the Armed Services about the value of ensuring that the make-up of the Armed Forces reflect the United Kingdom's ethnic diversity. An internal communications strategy is required to ensure that all personnel in the MoD understand the importance of diversity to the long term credibility and legitimacy of the Armed Services. (Paragraph 76)

The Ministry of Defence does not believe that there is a widespread culture of complacency over Ethnic Minority issues. The Armed Forces are determined to become more representative of our diverse society, harnessing the wealth of talent and skills of individuals from different backgrounds across all ethnic and religious groups.

A detailed business case for diversity is set out in the Department's Unified Diversity Strategy (available on the internet and internally through the Defence Intranet). The Unified Diversity Strategy is widely promulgated and underpins equality and diversity training throughout the Department. The Services are working hard to develop an organisational culture that welcomes racial diversity. Education is central to the Armed Forces' drive to communicate awareness of equality and diversity issues. Equality and diversity training is undertaken at the Joint Equality and Diversity Training Centre at Shrivenham and widely across all three Services and there are trained Equal Opportunities Advisers in every unit. A comprehensive review of equality and diversity training provided to members of the Armed Forces was undertaken earlier this year and work to implement the agreed recommendations is now in hand.

The single Services recognised that internal communications strategies are required to reinforce the benefits of diversity and bolster cultural awareness. The Royal Navy is undertaking a complete revision of the Equality and Diversity training given to all personnel and revised training packages and policy will be in place by the end of 2008. The importance of diversity is also covered in the First Sea Lord's 'Equality and Diversity Directive for the Naval Service' which is covered in the revised training package and in the booklet 'Equality, Diversity and You' (revised August 2008) which will be issued to all personnel coincident with a rolling programme of Equality and Diversity Advisory Visits to individual units.

In addition to a comprehensive diversity training programme the Army has recently distributed a new Equality and Diversity Directory. Other publications dealing with race as well as bullying and harassment are also available. The Army Equality and Diversity Action Plan 2008-10 called for a communications plan entitled 'Respect for Others' which will ensure that the Army's approach to Equality and Diversity is communicated effectively to both internal and external audiences.

The Royal Air Force has an internal communications strategy in place within their Equality and Diversity Action Plan. A positive Equality and Diversity climate is reinforced through regular and mandatory awareness and training briefings.

16.  (Recommendation 16) We recognise that improving ethnic minority recruiting is a major challenge and it will take some time to see the success of some of the MoD's current recruiting strategies. However, we are concerned that the MoD is not collecting the data that is required, and without this data it cannot develop well informed, evidence based policies. The MoD told us that it was improving data collection wherever it could. We do not consider that this is an appropriate response to such an important issue. In its response to our Report, we expect the MoD to set out exactly how it has improved data collection and what assessment the Equality and Human Rights Commission has made of those improvements. (Paragraph 77)

The Ministry of Defence collects and publishes a wide range of information on Ethnic Minorities in the Armed Forces. Statistics are published in the Department's Annual Report on its Equality and Diversity Scheme and on the Defence Analytical Service and Advice website. The Department accepts that the provision of some information has very recently been hampered by the introduction of the Joint Personnel Administration system and work is in hand to improve the collection of this data. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has not made any assessment of Ethnic Minority data collection in the Armed Forces. We shall respond to the Committee's concern on this point by opening a specific dialogue with the Equality and Human Resources Commission on this point.

17.  (Recommendation 17) We note the Equality and Human Rights Commission's conclusion that recruiting strategies based on the individual characteristics of each Service may improve the MoD's success in recruiting ethnic minorities to the Armed Forces. We recommend that the MoD work with the EHRC to identify such strategies. (Paragraph 78)

As articulated in earlier evidence to the Committee and in our response to the Committee's comments at paragraph 12, the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force each have their own Ethnic Minority recruitment strategies in place which reflect their distinct characteristics and the manpower requirements of the Service. Each Service also has Specialist Ethnic Minority Recruiting and Diversity Action Teams aimed at promoting Armed Forces careers amongst the United Kingdom's Ethnic Minority and faith communities. The Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces are developing a Partnership Agreement with the Equality and Human Right Commission covering a range of equality and diversity issues which will include ethnic minority recruiting strategies. It is expected that the agreement will be signed next year.

RECRUITING CAMPAIGNS AND RESOURCES

18.  (Recommendation 18) We commend the MoD on its recruitment campaigns and marketing strategies and we welcome the Armed Forces use of online resources to engage their target audiences. We also welcome the Armed Forces targeting individual pinchpoint trades as part of their marketing campaigns, but note that on the basis of available evidence, success has been limited. We recommend that the MoD develops a more systematic approach to recruiting to pinchpoint trades. (Paragraph 84)

The Royal Navy carries out specific advertising campaigns to target recruitment into shortage categories. Over the past year these have included Royal Marine Other Ranks, Submariners, Engineering Officers and Air Engineering Technicians. The Air Engineering Technician campaign targeted Further Education Colleges for students about to leave vocational courses such as electrical or car mechanics. These advertising campaigns have been very successful. Analysis of traffic on the Royal Navy Careers website shows an increase of 96% on the Air Engineering Technician pages between July and August 2008. An increase of 71% was also observed for the Submarine Service pages over the same period.

The Royal Marine Other Rank marketing campaign, launched in September 2007 is also bearing fruit. Royal Marine Other Rank applications have increased by 51% for Q1 2008-09 compared with Q1 2007-08; Royal Navy Rating applications have increased by 26% for the same period. Awareness of careers in the Royal Marines has risen to its highest at 29% suggesting that this campaign is working.

The Army Recruiting Group aims to generate over 300,000 enquiries each year from a broad target audience and the segmentation strategy employed (leaders, thinkers, escaper and mates) exploits the breadth of the Army 'offer' as imaginatively and realistically as possible. However, the needs, aspirations and competencies of the individual must be balanced against the needs of the Service and it is not in the interest of the soldiers or the Army to place them into inappropriate or unsuitable career choices.

The Army takes due account of Pinch Point trades within the 'One Army Recruiting' marketing campaigns, which have recently focused on Recce Mechanics in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Nursing, Royal Artillery Unmanned Aerial Vehicle operators and Adjutant General Corps Clerks. It also runs specific campaigns which target a particular role such as Infantry.

The Royal Air Force works with interested stakeholders to raise the profile of difficult to recruit to trades and to market them more effectively to the youth cadre. They are developing a more sustained approach to marketing Pinch Point branches and trades, supported by the formation of Specialist Recruiting Teams within the Inspectorate of Recruiting to ensure a coherent and consistent strategy to attract potential recruits. An example is the Royal Air Force Regiment scheme. Gunners returning from their first operational deployment are detached back to their parent Armed Forces Careers Office for a week to support Gunner recruitment efforts. Targeted marketing has resulted from Gunner recruitment analysis which demonstrated the demographics, socio-economic grouping, geographical distribution and media consumption of Gunners. The result of this activity is hoped to bring the Royal Air Force Regiment into manning balance in financial year 2011-12. It is intended to roll this strategy out across other Pinch Point areas.

ONE ARMY RECRUITING

19.  (Recommendation 19) One Army Recruiting', integrating Regular and Territorial Army recruiting, has been in operation for more than 12 months, and has been in development for several years. We are surprised that the Army was unable to share with us its initial lessons learnt about this major change in its recruiting methodology. We expect the MoD to provide us with such an analysis in its response to our Report. (Paragraph 86)

20.  (Recommendation 20) Some evidence we received suggests that One Army Recruiting has had a detrimental affect on Territorial Army recruiting. In its response to this Report, we expect the MoD to provide us with its assessment of the affects that One Army Recruiting has had on Territorial Army recruiting. (Paragraph 89)

As articulated in the evidence provided to the Committee by the Ministry of Defence during the course of their inquiry, the Army remains firm in its view that it would have been wrong to provide an assessment of 'One Army Recruiting' based on the limited information available so soon after its inception. To have done so would have been to provide a very immature analysis which could have seriously misled the Committee.

The Army is now in the process of reviewing the success of the new methodology, taking into account the full range of factors, including seasonal factors, regional variations, the impact of local marketing initiatives and temporary influences, such as unit operational deployments. This review will also reveal the impact of 'One Army Recruiting' on Territorial Army recruiting and is expected to be completed by December 2008. We will provide this assessment to the Committee.

RECRUITING AND SCHOOLS

21.  (Recommendation 21) We have concerns that the MoD may be missing opportunities though a lack of co-ordination of its recruitment activities in schools. We recommend that the MoD's review of its school programme considers how recruiting visits could be better co-ordinated. We commend the Armed Forces on its work experience and enterprise programmes for young people interested in a career in the Armed Forces. We consider that first hand experience of Service life is a positive recruitment tool. (Paragraph 92)

The Ministry of Defence agrees that recruitment activity in schools can be better co-ordinated. This was one of the findings of the recent review of Ministry of Defence activity in schools and there have already been significant improvements, for example better communications between Service recruiters and those involved in other engagement activity. The Department is looking at what more can be done as part of the follow up work to this review.

The Services work at a local level to de-conflict activity, for example school visits, and also deliver tri-Service activity where there are benefits to be gained at particular events. However, experience indicates that single Service visits produce the best recruiting results, as individuals sign up for a specific Service rather than the Armed Forces. Nationally, the marked differences in the geographical areas and the types of events targeted by each Service in order to optimise return on investment, preclude any real advantage being gained from attempts at generating a tri-Service profile. Each of the Services strive to deliver messages particular to their core capabilities and ethos, and there are also differences in those potential recruits that each of the services wishes to target.

GAP YEARS

22.  (Recommendation 22) We consider that the MoD's recent decisions to close Army and Royal Marine Gap year schemes is shortsighted. We note that the Australian Defence Force has responded to its recruiting shortfalls by launching a scheme for 700 school leavers, which it plans to expand in the future. We recommend that the MoD reconsiders its policy on Gap year schemes. (Paragraph 93)

The Australian Gap year scheme was briefly outlined to the Royal Navy and Army manning staffs earlier this year during the course of a routine liaison visit to the United Kingdom by representatives of the Australian Defence Force.

Royal Marines

From 1981-95 the Royal Marines ran a 9-month Short Service Limited Commission for exceptional officer candidates who were unwilling to commit themselves for a lengthy period of time. The commission was offered to 3-4 officers per annum but was stopped as it was not considered cost effective; those on the scheme held no operational value. Recruiting for Royal Marine Officers remains strong with sufficient high-calibre applicants and there is no recruiting requirement to reinstate the Short Service Limited Commission.

Whilst recruiting for Royal Marine Other Ranks remains challenging, altering the content and length of Commando training to accommodate school leavers as part of a 'gap year' initiative would not provide a sufficiently trained and effective Commando soldier able to contribute to operations. Currently, marines need only complete a minimum of 49 months service (including training) before being discharged. This is deemed to be the minimum return of service for the training investment.

The Royal Marines run one-week 'Look at Life' Courses at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines which enables students and potential applicants to experience elements of Royal Marine training and lifestyle without commitment. Those who are interested in joining the Royal Marines, complete a 3-day Potential Royal Marines Course to assess their suitability for training. Although it is too early to provide a meaningful assessment of the impact of this and other Naval Service awareness courses on recruiting, the initial results are promising with 24 of the 55 man Royal Marine troop which started training in September 2008 stating that the 'Look at Life' Courses had been a significant influence on their decision to join.

Army

The Army has started preliminary work on a gap year/work experience scheme. The aim would be to fill gaps in training capacity with recruits on a one-year engagement in those Corps with the greatest shortages and short (around 6 months) basic training requirements. Once trained they would join a unit with their one year point timed to coincide with the start of Pre-Deployment Training for operations. At this point they would be given the opportunity to sign onto a standard four year engagement and continue to deploy with their new friends and colleagues on operations. The Australian experience is that around 50% elect to stay. The details are still to be worked out and only when all the issues have been explored will a final decision be taken.

EDUCATIONAL INCENTIVES

23.  (Recommendation 23) Professor Strachan told us that the MoD could do more to use educational incentives to draw people to the Armed Forces, we agree. The Armed Forces have a long tradition of using educational incentives to attract officers and medical staff, and we believe that this should be expanded to other ranks. We consider that the MoD could be more imaginative in developing recruitment opportunities based around education and should specifically recognise the need to adapt recruiting strategies to the recent growth in higher education. (Paragraph 97)

The Armed Forces offer a wide variety of challenging, interesting and rewarding careers, producing highly trained personnel whose skills are very much in demand in the wider employment market. The education and training opportunities provided by the Services range from basic skills, trade and professional qualifications to post-graduate degrees. These opportunities play an important part in attracting potential recruits, both Officers and other ranks, to consider a career in the Armed Forces and are emphasised by the Services' presentation Teams. With more young people opting for further education, we are working closely with the Department for Innovation Universities and Skills on the opportunities for the Armed Forces in proposals to extend formal learning and education to all up to 18 years of age.

New educational/recruiting initiatives include the Army's recently announced Further Education Bursary Scheme, developed to align with the Government's aspiration to encourage young people to remain in education for longer, and turning a potential threat to recruiting into an opportunity. For the academic year 2008-09, the scheme will sponsor and support up to 3000 potential recruits through Further Education. Those on the scheme will be awarded £1000 for each year spent at college, with a further £1000 awarded on successful completion of Phase 1 training. Successful applicants can earn up to £5000. The Bursary Scheme was piloted in London and the North West and more than 200 Further Education Colleges have signed up nationally as partners to the Army for full roll-out in the coming academic year. The scheme will recruit both soldiers and officers and the vision is to attract 3,000 better educated, more mature (and probably, therefore, better motivated) recruits.

Other recent initiatives include introduction of the in-Service Foundation Degree in Military Aviation Studies which is proving attractive to Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm officers. This degree, offered in conjunction with the Open University, is available to all non-graduates who commenced Aircraft Conversion Phase after 1 July 2007. It is awarded in conjunction with the Flying Badge ("Wings") at the end of flying training for no additional work or financial outlay. It is still too early to show any empirical data to support the initial success of this initiative but anecdotal evidence from the Recruiting Field Force indicates that it is proving extremely popular with potential applicants and parents alike.

The Royal Air Force's trade and branch selection sheets, which outline the educational requirements for entry to a particular trade or branch, are being updated to reflect the lifelong-learning opportunities in the Royal Air Force. These sheets are used by the Armed Forces Careers Office Field Force and by Marketing on the Royal Air Force Careers web site to promote the respective trades and branches. As part of a Combined Recruiting Youth and Gender High Level Action Plan, the Royal Air Force have introduced scholarships worth £1000 for the second year of sixth form study for potential officers and Senior Non Commissioned Officer Aircrew. Further work is also underway to determine the benefits of introducing a similar scheme for some Airman trades.

Once in Service, a key goal of through-life learning is to ensure the skills gained are recognised outside the Armed Forces. Training is accredited by professional bodies (including Defence as an Awarding Body in its own right) with recognised awards wherever possible. Those coming from difficult social circumstances and with few or no qualifications have the chance to acquire new skills and qualifications that not only prepare them to succeed in their chosen military career, but are recognised and valued by employers on their return to civilian life. A significant number of Armed Forces personnel undertake nationally recognised qualifications with more than 40,000 individuals registered for nationally recognised qualifications such as Non Vocational Qualifications, Modern Apprenticeships and Foundation Degrees. This investment benefits the Armed Forces but also the wider national skills pool through the return of highly trained ex-Service personnel into the labour market.

In addition to the financial support already made available through the Armed Forces Enhanced Learning Credit scheme to help pay for higher level learning, the Government recently announced in the Department's paper 'The Nation's Commitment: Cross-Government Support to our Armed Forces, their Families and Veterans' a commitment to Service leavers to fund, free of tuition fees, their first full Level 3, first foundation or full undergraduate degree (or national equivalent). Aligned to the Enhanced Learning Credit scheme this support can be accessed for up to 10 years after leaving the Service. Over time, and as the new support takes effect from academic year 2009-10, a key aim will be to encourage personnel to use in-Service professional and personal development opportunities and support to put them in the best possible position to take full advantage of the Government's additional commitment on leaving the Service.  

TRAINING

24.  (Recommendation 24) We believe that initial training should ensure that as many recruits as possible succeed. High wastage rates during initial training suggest that there is a serious weakness in initial training programmes or that the recruitment process does not adequately predict those unsuitable for life in the Armed Forces. We note that there is a balance to be struck in ensuring that the pool of potential recruits is not unnecessarily limited and that resources are not wasted. (Paragraph 101)

25.  (Recommendation 25/26) We are concerned at the high wastage rates in Phase 1 and 2 training and in particular, by the increases in wastage rates since 2005. The Royal Marines' wastage rates have been consistently close to 50% for the last 5 years, although we note that the standard required by the Royal Marines is very high. In its response to this Report we expect the MoD tell us how many Royal Marine recruits who do not complete training enlist in other parts of the Armed Services. Both the Army and the RAF's wastage rates are creeping upwards. In its response to our Report, we expect the MoD to set out the causes of such high wastage rates, the factors which have contributed to the pattern of increase in the last five years, and the reasons why our wastage rates appear to be so much higher than our major allies. (Paragraph 104)

The Ministry of Defence keeps the initial training programmes under constant review in order to react to the changing requirements of the front line and the changing nature of the modern recruit and we do not accept that there is any serious weakness in our training programmes. The recruiting process exposes candidates to some of the realities of Service life, and the subsequent selection process can eliminate a high proportion of candidates who are not suitable due to lack of aptitude or ability and explore, to a limited extent, their level of commitment. However, capable individuals committed to an unrealistic vision often survive selection only to discover, shortly after joining, that day-to-day life in the Armed Forces is not for them. These recruits, together with those who discover after joining that they cannot cope with life away from family and friends, make up the majority of voluntary withdrawals who form the largest proportion of wastage during initial training.

With regard to training failures, as opposed to voluntary withdrawals, we are acutely aware of the cost of wastage and always seek to minimise it. However, there is another balance to be struck between this cost and the cost of offering second and third chances (either by backclassing failures or allowing borderline cases to continue to the next phase). Clearly, fewer resources are wasted if a weak recruit leaves early in the process rather than towards the end.

In some areas wastage rates during training are higher during initial training than historical norms and societal changes are impacting on the ability of our young people to reach the exacting standards the Armed Forces require. The Services are looking at ways to resolve this at each stage of the process (selection, recruiting and training), for example, the Royal Navy Human Resources research team has a five year selection validation research programme in place, to assess the relationship between selection assessments and training, which will be used to inform the selection process to reduce training wastage.

With regard to the wastage rates quoted for major allies, which we find surprisingly low, it is only possible to speculate on how they achieve these levels. There are many ways to calculate "wastage" rates; for example, it is possible that the figures represent only training failures, or only voluntary withdrawals, or indeed voluntary withdrawal within 12 months may not be an option available to the recruits. We believe that the United States Army recruits from a better-educated base which could impact on wastage rates, whilst in the case of Australia and Canada, it may be that their much smaller Armed Forces are able to demand higher pre-entry standards from potential recruits.

Royal Navy

Whilst Table 13 in the Committee's report correctly shows an increase in Royal Navy rating wastage from 21% to 24% in the last year, it also shows a steady reduction from 26% in 2003-04 to the 2006-07 low point. Going back a further year would show 2002-03 wastage at 32%, the starting point for a concerted effort to reduce this figure, which had previously been considered the norm. The subsequent improvement was achieved by a reduction in wastage during Phase 1 training (the first 8 weeks) from 25% to 10% in the first 2 years, without any significant increase in Phase 2 wastage. Action is in hand to reverse the recent adverse trend, which again mostly arises from Phase 1, including a syllabus review to increase military awareness and early signs are encouraging. But realistically we would not expect to be able to maintain a figure consistently lower than 22-23%.

Historically, Royal Marine Other Rank wastage averages around 42% and, at this level, the Gains to Trained Strength target would be met if recruiting targets were met. Currently, achieving the latter is exceptionally challenging and it is therefore almost inevitable that, although there has been no reduction in the standards required to pass the Potential Royal Marine Candidate selection test, some borderline passes will be accepted and these individuals present a greater training risk. The very high standard required by the Royal Marines is noted in the report and it should be noted that the equivalent failure rate in Parachute Regiment training, which aspires to similar standards, is even higher, with only approximately 42% succeeding in achieving the full transition from civilian to trained paratrooper. Nonetheless, wastage rates and reasons are kept constantly under scrutiny at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines and much effort is expended in seeking to keep wastage to a minimum. Examples of current initiatives are a restructuring of Hunter Company, the rehabilitation centre for those suffering injuries during training at Commando Training Centre Royal Marines to provide greater continuation of military training, the use of Royal Marines Association Mentors provide recruits with advice and guidance and reduce their feelings of isolation and changes to the Foundation Phase of training to provide a more progressive rate of training.

Royal Marines transfers to other Services

It is not possible to provide a definitive answer to the specific question concerning Royal Marines recruits. Recruits who leave initial training and join another Service are not transferred by any established process; they are discharged and apply to join the other Service in the same way as any other potential recruit. No central mechanism currently exists for tracking this.

All Royal Navy and Royal Marine recruits who leave initial training are counselled on their options for other employment within their own or other Services. The Royal Navy transfers significant numbers of those who have the right attitude and enjoy Service life, but who have difficulty with (typically) the more technical skills required by their originally chosen branch. Royal Marine recruits, however, generally aspire to be Royal Marines and have had to make strenuous efforts to be accepted in the first place. If they then fail to make the grade, they are unlikely, in the immediate aftermath of disappointment, to be inclined to consider joining, say, an Infantry Regiment, with differing ethos, traditions and history.

Army

The Army has taken a number of actions to reduce wastage in training including production of the Land Retention in Training Action Plan in early 2008. The plan is supported by Headquarters Land Forces, the Army Recruiting and Training Division and Arms & Service Directors and is a comprehensive framework of actions to reduce pipeline wastage across the Land Forces. Many of the measures target potential recruits before they begin training therefore, it will take time for the effectiveness of the plan to work through the pipeline and for the results to be reflected in increased output.

Last year £2 million was allocated to fund 'Retention in Training' measures including improvements in welfare and recreational facilities, better internet access, funding for families days and a host of other small but important proposals aimed at improving trainees' experiences and reducing homesickness. Funding was included in Planning Round 08 to continue these measures.

The Army has engaged with the academic community, both in developing Values Based Leadership, taught and practised in Phase 1 training and at Infantry Training Centre, and in the execution and analysis of the Recruit Trainee Survey results and other research. In addition, a quarterly Unsuitability Workshops has been established where training establishments report back to Recruiting Group.

Organisational adjustments are also being made to the training pipeline to make it more productive:

• An additional combat infantry course will be run by the Infantry Training Centre in August to capitalise on a slight increase in infantry recruiting.
• Work is in progress to drive down the number of soldiers awaiting trade training at Phase 2 by examining which cap badges would benefit by delaying the selection of Career Employment Groups for recruits from the recruiting office until either during or after Phase 1 training. For some cap badges this would ease the flow through Phase 2, which can be the greatest obstacle.
• Contingency plans are being drawn up for a possible recruiting surge in summer 2009, when those on the Further Education Bursary Scheme, who complete their studies after one year, join the Army. It is too early to say how significant this surge will be, but a temporary selection centre could be opened, if necessary.
• A trial has been running for two years to give the lowest quintile an additional two weeks' preparation before starting training. On average it has delivered a 4% improvement in soldiers going on to complete training successfully.
• The move from Phase 1 to Phase 2 can be troublesome and work is being conducted to smooth the transition into and through Phase 2, for example by modularising courses.
• A trial will be run shortly to grade all candidates at the time of selection, based on a range of factors from physical fitness to mental agility, such that, when the demand for places permits, the best can be loaded into training first, so improving the likelihood of retaining those with the best chances of succeeding. There is currently no grading for standard entry.

Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force monitors wastage rates in both Phase 1 and Phase 2 Training very closely and works hard to improve both First Time and Overall Pass Rates. Performance Indicator Targets are set within Management Plans which challenge the training schools to improve. Within Phase I training there will always be a significant minority who decide Service life is not for them, and this voluntary withdrawal is the greatest cause of wastage, despite a thorough recruiting and selection process, and a training environment which meets very high standards of training delivery and duty of care. The other main causes are failure to meet the required standard in a range of assessed areas including academic, leadership and management potential, fitness and broader personal attributes including integrity.

The recent upward creep in wastage rates is likely to be a reflection that those factors which cause hesitation at the point of recruiting continue to feature in the early stages of training, especially where the expectations of potential recruits are concerned. In addition, from mid 2007, the Royal Air Force has driven down some of its educational and medical entry standards to broaden the pool of potential recruits. This included introduction of indicative, rather than absolute minimum education requirements, which has led to an increased risk of academic failure in some trades. The risk has been managed through the introduction greater academic support and some additional tuition where required, but nevertheless it will have contributed to upward pressure on the wastage rates.

THE IMPACT OF SERVICE LIFE ON FAMILY AND PERSONAL LIFE

26.  (Recommendation 27) The evidence we have received reinforces our conclusion that failure to meet Harmony Guidelines and the resulting pressure has serious consequences for retention in the Armed Forces. Given the demands placed on our Service personnel from the current level of operations, the Armed Forces are unlikely to achieve their Harmony Guideline targets in the near future. This continues to put Service personnel and their families under considerable strain. (Paragraph 111)

27.  (Recommendation 28) We strongly support Service personnel and their families in their calls to have greater stability. If the MoD is to succeed in its efforts to retain Service personnel, it must urgently seek ways to lessen the impact of stretch on Service personnel and their families. We have seen some evidence that the Services have recognised the importance of stability in the personal and family life of Service personnel, but this needs to be given greater priority. In particular, the MoD should examine how more advance notice of postings and deployments could be given to Service personnel, so they and their families have more time to prepare. In its response to our Report we expect the Government to set out what measures it plans to introduce to create greater stability for Armed Forces personnel and the timetable for doing so, and in particular, how the development of Super Garrisons contributes to those plans. (Paragraph 115)

It is acknowledged that historical trends in attitude surveys with Serving personnel and families highlight family separation and the inability to plan their own life as the highest source of dissatisfaction.

Royal Navy

Currently, a minimum of 435 days Harmony in rolling 3 year period in base area is managed by ensuring that individuals do not spend more than 660 days separated service from base area over a rolling 3 year period. Delivered by underpinning processes such as Squad rotation, career management, voluntary waivers, unit programming, duty rosters and monitored by the Separated Service Planning Tool via Joint Personnel Administration, individual harmony is occasionally breached to protect unit Operational Capability. Currently less than 1% of Royal Navy and Royal Marine personnel breach the threshold of 660 days separated service in a 3 year period.

Notice of new assignments, including the activation of individual augmentees, is guaranteed by Personal Functional Standards (published in April 2005) and provides for at least 3 months notice for assignments from Sea to Shore Service, Sea to Sea Service, and from Shore to Shore Service where a change of area is involved and 5 months notice for assignments Shore to Sea Service and for overseas Local Foreign Service. Currently, 95% of assignments satisfy these requirements. Personal preferences and family circumstances are taken into account in the appointing/drafting process. Those serving in ships normally receive 12 - 18 months notice of deployments of over 2 months, although any deployment will always remain subject to operational requirements. Programme churn and short notice selection as an augmentee are cited as areas of dissatisfaction however.

Manpower churn, particularly in Pinch-Point communities, where personnel are re-assigned or managed moved within their base area to address late-notice operational priorities is a cause for concern. Launched in Autumn 2007 Project FISHER is a manning initiative is looking to deliver more flexible ways of manning the frontline and the Naval Service over the short, medium and longer term. Its principle objective is: 'a sustainable personnel system which enables delivery of operational outcomes of the Fleet, maximises the Royal Navy's contribution to the Joint environment, and offers personal family stability to our people through the establishment of resilient manning and career development arrangements'. The project is a long-term programme. Any decision on future manning options will be subject to thorough examination including the conducting of an extended series of manning trials over the coming years.

The Royal Navy has recently been allocated an additional £10M over the 4 years of Planning Round 08 in order to support retention by enhancing the quality of harmony time when alongside or in barracks. This will, for example, be used to remove some of the mundane cleaning tasks from sailors in ships alongside and to fund packages which encourage engagement with families.

Army

The creation of Super Garrisons will mean that Army personnel will be more likely to carry out a series of postings within the same garrison area, thus reducing the requirement to relocate, with its associated impact on personal and family life. However, by its nature this will take time to have an effect. The 5 United Kingdom Super Garrisons in Aldershot, Catterick, Colchester, Northern Ireland and Salisbury Plain will go live on 1 April 2009, at which point they will start a development phase.

As at January 2007, 10.3% of the Army was in breach of Harmony Guidelines. This figure is down from 16% in 2005 and reflects, amongst other things, the commitment of the Army to adapt its structure to meet the demands placed on it, which exceed Defence Planning Assumptions. Further reductions are unlikely until commitment levels reduce. Harmony Guidelines provide a useful measure of the impact of activity (both operational and training) on the individual. They are there to enable commanders to make decisions over levels of activity and commitments, to ensure the force can be sustained over time. For example, 1 (UK) Armoured Division staff measured the Harmony Guidelines of its Royal Artillery Tactical Groups over the period 2007/08, recognising the increased demands placed upon them, and has consequently sought to reduce the tempo of their activities in 2009. This also reflects the direction from Commander in Chief Land Forces to reduce the pressure on personnel between operational tours, wherever possible.

Royal Air Force

The Harmony Guidelines are built on force structure assumptions designed to deliver routine concurrency within the context of Defence Planning Assumptions. Concurrent operations in Iraq and Afghanistan fall somewhat outside these criteria and it is possible that the force structure and ultimately strength within the structure may need to be refined; part of this was addressed within Planning Round 08 with approval to increase the Royal Air Force manpower liability by 629 posts from 1 April 2009.

In the meantime, the Royal Air Force has already embarked on a 3 year programme of significantly increased recruitment and training activity. This is designed to close the gap between strength and liability that contributes to harmony shortfalls and bring the Service up to full manning by the end of 2011. As the build up progresses, the Royal Air Force Harmony Working Group will continue to manage deployment turnaround times, spreading the burden as equitably as possible through a variety of means including reviewing post requirements and competencies use of Royal Auxiliary Air Force personnel and contractorisation, in addition to applying the results of Capability and Manpower Prioritisation to distribution of available manning. The Working Group will also continue to build on non-formed unit action plans for specific trades under greatest operational pressure which have significantly reduced the proportion of non-formed unit harmony guideline breaches. Similarly, the introduction of Military Provost Guard Service personnel over the next 3 years will contribute reducing pressure on personnel by enabling them to focus on primary outputs without distraction.

The Royal Air Force is coalescing on a smaller number of main operating bases as part of drawdown in a programme running out to 2020. As a consequence, an increasing number of personnel, particularly amongst ground trades, will find themselves spending longer periods of their careers at one or a more predictable selection of sites. This is entirely consistent with and will become an integral part of our work to improve predictability in career matters.

The Royal Air Force is pursuing a number of measures under the auspices of the People Campaign Plan approved by the Air Force Board Standing Committee in June 2008. The most significant of these include revision of the Officers Career Management Strategy and introduction of a similar strategy for Ground Trades, aimed specifically at improving career management by linking career pathways, promotion and posting policies. This is supported by approval in Planning Round 08 to build back some Human Resource expertise at unit level, an initiative the Service is seeking to expand through Planning Round 09. This will significantly enhance communications between personnel and the career management system, enabling earlier consideration of individual circumstances. Together these measures, which will be trailed on a number of Royal Air Force stations from September 2008, should start to introduce progressive and significant improvements in the predictability of posting timings and locations thus extending the effective preparation time available to personnel.

WELFARE PROVISION

28.  (Recommendation 29) The importance of first class welfare support for our Service personnel and their families cannot be overstated. They deserve nothing less. We commend organisations such as SSAFA FH and the Army, Naval and RAF Families Federations for the excellent work they do in this area. We acknowledge the recent improvements the MoD has made to the operational welfare package. However, it needs to do more. We are concerned that a reduction of Armed Forces Welfare Officers has had a detrimental affect on the quality of welfare support provided to Service personnel and their families. (Paragraph 122)

29.  (Recommendation 30) We welcome the publication on 17 July 2008 of the Service Personnel Strategy. We plan to monitor its implementation and we will be seeking regular updates from the MoD on the progress being made and how the proposals in the strategy address the current shortcomings in the provision of welfare support. (Paragraph 123)

The Ministry of Defence echoes the comments of the Committee on Service related charities such as the Soldiers, Sailors, Airman and Families Association—Forces Help and the Naval, Army and Royal Air Force Families Federations. The welfare support that these organisations offer to Service personnel, families and Veterans is well recognised and the relationship that the Ministry of Defence enjoys with them continues to flourish.

The Ministry of Defence continuously monitors the effectiveness of the Deployment Welfare Package in meeting the needs of the deployed Service personnel and their families. We will continue to develop this package to ensure that our deployed personnel and their families are properly supported.

The Ministry of Defence is surprised that the Committee had been given the impression that there has been a reduction in Welfare Officers. This is not the case. Only the Army has a specific post of a Welfare Officer although all three Services have a number of personnel who deliver welfare support to Serving personnel and their families. Each Service has increased the number of welfare related posts.

The Department accepts that the communication of the availability of welfare support is a key issue. The Services are developing comprehensive web based support platforms and family friendly guides to complement the support already offered via the chain of command.

The Ministry of Defence has made significant improvements to the way that injured Service personnel are looked after. All patients now have a Patient Care Pathway led by the clinical pathway and supported by welfare and administrative pathways. Close liaison between those responsible for each pathway ensures that the entire needs of the patient, and family members, are considered at all times. This is facilitated by the Defence Patient Tracking System which tracks the location of patients and records who is responsible for each of the pathways. A Welfare Coordinator is appointed by the relevant Service to oversee the welfare pathway and to liaise with the leads of the clinical and administrative pathways. For those with more serious welfare needs this coordinator will be qualified in social care. This single point of contact for all welfare matters throughout the recovery process will assist injured Service personnel and the families understand the full range of sources of support to deal with the numerous, often complex issues that arise.

Our command Paper 'The Nation's Commitment' included a number of commitments designed to ensure that Service personnel, their families and Veterans are not disadvantaged by the conditions of Service life (such as mobility or overseas Service) when accessing support designed for the whole population. Close cooperation across Government is reflected in commitments to recognise the specific needs of the Service Community in the delivery of services, whether education, health or social care. Building on these commitments, better linkages are being developed at Departmental level for policy matters and between service providers and military commanders to address local delivery issues.

Royal Navy

Every serving person in the Royal Navy has a Divisional Officer with whom they have regular if not daily contact and who will exercise a primary welfare support function. In the Royal Marines the Regimental system is equally holistic and robust. The Naval Personal and Family Service and Royal Marine Welfare complement the Royal Naval Divisional system and Royal Marine Regimental system, particularly in providing more specialist welfare support to families. The Royal Navy does not use the title of 'Welfare Officer' which almost certainly explains why 60% of Royal Naval personnel did not agree or were unsure if they had such access to a Welfare Officer. The Royal Navy nevertheless believes that every rating and every other rank has an ingrained understanding of where they should first look for support in the face of personal or professional difficulty, rather than being unsure about such matters.

Far from reducing the number of welfare staff, Naval Personal and Family Service/ Royal Marine Welfare is currently in a period of 25% growth in the welfare field force which will include both serving and civilian welfare staff and social workers. The Royal Marine Welfare service, which is unit based, has been strengthened to meet the increased operational tempo as have the various unit rear parties in preparation for forthcoming deployments.

The Royal Navy also fully recognises the need to reach out to families, parents and partners, many of whom are not geographically close to naval facilities. The Royal Navy has invested considerably in the Royal Navy Community Website, www.RNcom.mod.uk which has proved extremely successful and continues to develop alongside community services provided at base locations.

Army

The Army has increased the number of Welfare Officers. There will be an additional 52 Unit Welfare Officers and Regimental Operations Support Officers (who support Territorial Army units). In addition, the Army Welfare Service has increased its Army Welfare Workers by 20% and has also introduced 10 specialist Casualty Key Worker posts. The Commanding Officers Public Fund has been increased significantly from £1.50 to £31 per individual, which equates to an additional £20,150 for a unit of 650 personnel. This will enable local commanders to make a swift and direct impact on soldiers' lives at unit level to improve the quality of life and underpin retention. Improvements to signposting welfare support include two new guides on welfare support to families of Regulars going on Operations and to mobilised Reservists, and an improved Guide for Foreign and Commonwealth personnel and their families.

Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force has introduced an additional 27 posts dedicated to the promotion of welfare at unit level, with particular emphasis on improving interaction with housing providers and on creating the capacity for improved communication with, and support for, the families of deployed personnel. These Service Community Support Officers are Full-Time Reserve Service personnel (thereby removing the risk of their being deployed away from the units they support).

In addition to these, and the Service personnel staff on each unit whose primary responsibilities include welfare and community support, the Royal Air Force has maintained a cadre of 48 Soldiers, Sailors, Airman and Families Association-Forces Help professionally-qualified staff, contracted in to provide first-line welfare support on units. The lay-down of these staff is continually reviewed to ensure that demand is being met and 2 additional locum posts are currently being run to gauge take-up at units where demand appears particularly high. This arrangement enables the Service to provide the seamless, nationwide, impartial and confidential service—working alongside the chain of command but not as part of it.

A further 34 Community Development Officers are established on units to pursue community support projects at local level, with an emphasis on drawing on the support available from local authorities and seeking innovative funding routes to enable development—including bids to the established supporting Service charities. Although employed as Civil Servants, the Community Development Officers are all recruited as qualified in community and youth work, bringing an additional dimension to the station Community Support team.

CO-ORDINATING WELFARE SUPPORT

30.  (Recommendation 31) We acknowledge the important work undertaken by the voluntary sector to support current and former Service personnel and their families. However, we are concerned that more could be done to make their assistance more coherent. We welcome the MoD's recent innovation of welfare conferences, but look to the MoD, in its response to this Report, to make a clear statement about its future plans to ensure there is a framework which provides a better focus for co-ordinating welfare support. We are particularly concerned that the boundaries between the welfare support provided by charities and that provided by the MoD has become blurred. (Paragraph 126)

The Services have a long history of successful collaboration with charitable organisations and there are established mechanisms to coordinate this. These linkages are well understood and operate with clear boundaries. What has changed of late, and in particular since the publication of the National Recognition Study, has been a surge in offers of assistance from new sources. The Confederation of British Service and Ex-Service Organisations plays a key role in ensuring that these offers, and the response, are coordinated. The Ministry of Defence will continue to develop these links to maximise the coherence of charitable provision.

The recently instigated Ministry of Defence Welfare Conferences are providing a useful forum to discuss welfare provision from both public and charitable sources and follow up action has ensured that ideas and lessons identified are reflected in action. In addition, a tri-Service and single Service welfare committees provide a framework to coordinate and progress initiatives across the welfare arena, ensuring continued improvement to the provision of welfare support to Service personnel, their families and to Veterans. One factor that may sometimes give the impression of blurred boundaries is the use of charitable organisations to deliver a service, such as the contract placed with Soldiers Sailors, Airmen, and Families Association—Forces Help to provide specialist welfare support to the Royal Air Force and a number of commands overseas. Whilst these services may be delivered by a charitable organisation, they are being funded publicly.

For Vulnerable or Early Service Leavers, including Seriously Injured Leavers, there is now improved coordination of support beyond discharge between Service welfare organisations and the Veterans Welfare Service. The work of Confederation of British Service and Ex-Service Organisations is crucial to setting the framework at the strategic level although access to services is dependent on the knowledge base of the parent Service welfare practitioner and the Veterans Welfare Service Welfare Officer. In addition, the Resettlement Gatekeeper Charity initiative offers Service personnel being discharged the opportunity to have their details passed to either Royal British Legion or Soldiers, Sailors, Airman and Families Association—Forces Help for them to coordinate charitable assistance post discharge.

FOCUS OF WELFARE PROVISION

31.  (Recommendation 32) We accept that the Command structure has an absolute duty to provide welfare support, but, at a time of high operational tempo, we are concerned that welfare support is not always being delivered in the way that personnel and their families require. The MoD recognises that welfare support can be improved. In its response to our Report, we call on the MoD to set out the specific improvements it plans to introduce, and how those changes will place the individual at the centre of welfare provision. (Paragraph 129)

For the Armed Forces, welfare remains a core function of the command relationship. It is essential for commanders to understand fully their subordinates' needs in order to be able to meet operational commitments whilst balancing the needs of individuals and their families. Welfare support is broadly delivered in three ways; pre-emptive support, the provision of information and support and reactive welfare support. Pre-emptive support is universally or widely available to help Service personnel and their families deal with the rigours of Service life and prevent problems developing. Commanders are best placed to shape this support in reaction to the circumstances of that unit and the needs that they raise. Reactive support is triggered by events or a request for assistance and is focussed on a specific Service person and/or family and is addressed through multi-disciplinary case working. It relies on the appointment of a 'case manager' to coordinate the support that may be required from a number of agencies and organisations and also to offer a clear point of contact to the Service person and family to prevent confusion.

Welfare problems are invariably complex and the solution to them must be multi-disciplinary and hence the chain of command, on whose behalf the case manager works, is best placed to coordinate the response. The recent concept of the Welfare Coordinator for injured Service personnel and their families exemplifies this model. The Welfare Coordinator acts as a single point of contact both for the Service person and their families on all welfare matters. This is designed to help them deal with the wide range of specialist organisations and agencies that might be contributing and to provide a focus for case management on behalf of the chain of command.

The Services also recognise that Service personnel and their families will have differing preferences over how they feel comfortable in accessing welfare support. That is why each of the Services offers a number of different sources of support. Whilst that offered through the chain of command will continue to be the prime channel, particularly for the Service person, it is recognised that family members, in particular those that live away from units, may be wary of support closely associated with the military. The single Services are continuing to develop web based channels to signpost users to both Service related and civilian organisations, and the Ministry of Defence contracts Soldiers Sailors, Airmen and Families Association—Forces Help to operate a Confidential Support Helpline.

Whilst welfare is a command responsibility, when a ship or unit in the Royal Navy deploys the command deploys with it and the welfare organisations become the focal point for support to families and indeed the serving person if they have not deployed. The Naval Personal and Family Service receive in the order of 3500 referrals each year. Users of the service are surveyed and in 2007 27% of respondents indicated that the quality of services met their expectations while 54% said that services exceeded expectations. Overall 74% of respondents rated the service they received as very good or good and 10% as satisfactory. Figures for 2008 so far indicate an improvement in ratings. The Royal Navy consistently seeks feedback on the welfare services it provides and how they can be improved. Current initiatives include the opening of a Naval Personal and Family Service/Royal Marines Welfare office in Birmingham to provide more accessible services to families in the Midlands and similar provision is under consideration for the North of England.

The Army's Welfare Action Plan provides a framework for the improvements it proposes to introduce, all of which have at their heart the needs of the Service person and their family. These include the 20% increase in Army Welfare Service staff, increasing the number of Unit Welfare Officers and introduction of 10 Army Key Casualty Workers (specialist trained social workers) noted above, as well as increased numbers of welfare related posts in the Army Unit Rear Party for operational deployments, introduction of Army Welfare Service staff at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine Selly Oak, increased awareness at unit level of the Sickness Absence Management process and its application and improvements in the Casualty Notification Officer/Visiting Officer training packages and the introduction of a trial for greater liaison with the Veterans Welfare Service to assist the Visiting Officer.

The Royal Air Force has subscribed wholeheartedly to the concept of the Patient Care Pathway which enables coordinating support to be provided to the individual and their family. Allied to this is the Personnel Holding Flight which works closely with the Medical Recovery Coordinator appointed by Chief of Staff Health to oversee cases involving hospitalisation or other medical treatment. In addition to their responsibilities for managing long-term cases, such as the terminally ill, they will manage cases assessed as being beyond the capacity of the station to manage effectively, for example, where the individual is serving within the usual Royal Air Force environment and receiving remote personnel parenting. Over the last year the Royal Air Force has pursued the establishment of Community Support Officers at Stations. Their role is to provide integrating link between Service families, local council and the Royal Air Force command chain. Indeed we are already benefiting from their independent feedback on problem areas.

STANDARDS OF SERVICE HOUSING

32.  (Recommendation 33) We have already highlighted in our earlier report the important role that accommodation plays in the ability of the Services to retain personnel. The MoD plans to spend some £5 billion on accommodation over the next ten years. Given the importance of accommodation to family welfare and retention, we expect the MoD to ensure that the work to improve accommodation is pushed forward as quickly as possible and, where possible, further resources are earmarked for upgrading accommodation. We note that Super Garrisons provide the MoD with an opportunity to deliver high quality Service accommodation. (Paragraph 133)

Defence Estates is committed to providing the best possible accommodation to Service personnel and their families. Service Family Accommodation in the United Kingdom is assessed against a rigorous set of criteria to provide a Standard for Condition rating, with Standard 1 being the highest, and Standard 4 the lowest. The long-term aim is to upgrade all Service Family Accommodation to Standard 1, however with over 50,000 accommodation units in the United Kingdom, this will take some time to achieve. Less than 5% of United Kingdom Service Family Accommodation is currently at Standard 3 or 4 for Condition.

The Ministry of Defence plans to spend over £8 billion on accommodation over a 10 year programme. The United Kingdom Service Family Accommodation Upgrade Programme aims to upgrade 600 units to Standard 1 for Condition this Financial Year, at a cost of £38M, and 800 units each year thereafter, at a cost of £48M per year. Properties to be upgraded are identified in consultation with the Armed Forces, and the programme prioritises those properties identified as having the greatest need. Properties are also improved each year through routine maintenance such as boiler replacement, new kitchens and bathrooms.

In Germany, by the end of financial year 2007-08, Project PUMA had delivered 87 upgraded Service Family Accommodation units. As at March 2008, the Hired Accommodation Revitalised Programme had delivered 415 Service Family Accommodation units, either replaced or upgraded, at no additional cost to the MoD. In Cyprus and Gibraltar 269 Service Family Accommodation units are currently undergoing renovation.

Turning to the programme to upgrade Single Living Accommodation, since 2003 over 29,000 bed-spaces have been modernised to Grade 1 standard, with a further 30,000 to be delivered over the next 10 years. During 2007-08, 6,905 new Single Living Accommodation bed-spaces were delivered with a further 7,500 planned this year, including over 1500 at Colchester Garrison, 800 at Faslane, 400 at Northwood, and over 250 bed-spaces in both Cyprus and Germany.

33.  (Recommendation 34) We were very disappointed that the Government response to our Report on the work of Defence Estates failed to acknowledge the serious shortcomings in the administration and maintenance of Service accommodation. It is now one year since we published our Report and we are still receiving evidence that the standard of maintenance repairs and level of customer service falls well below the expectations of Service personnel and their families. We note that the Under-Secretary of State for Defence finds this unacceptable. So do we. We recommend that the MoD seeks advice from Local Government Housing Associations about how Defence Estates can move towards a customer-centred approach and we plan to monitor the MoD's progress in doing so. (Paragraph 138)

It is right that Service personnel and their families have high levels of expectation. In order that we can measure the standard of services provided, a number of monthly performance indicators, previously agreed with stakeholders, including the Service Families Federations, are in place across a variety of activities, but are primarily aimed at maintenance standards and customer service. These are monitored closely by all stakeholder groups and deficiencies are rigorously reported and investigated.

As of July 2008, over 90% of calls to the Maintenance and Repair Helpdesk for England and Wales were answered within 30 seconds, and over 85% within 10 seconds. Customer satisfaction with the Helpdesk was reported at over 90%, and in excess of 90% of response maintenance repairs were completed correctly on the first appointment made, with over 95% of maintenance repairs completed within the agreed repair times. Customer satisfaction with the maintenance and repair service is reported at 92%. The aforementioned statistics compare favourably with local housing associations.

Prior to 2003-06, the role of Housing Officers (then known as Customer Care Officers) involved both "hard" maintenance functions, and "soft" housing services such as allocations of Service Family Accommodation, Move-Ins and Move-Outs, liaison with local Service commanders and supporting the local Service community. However, their workload was mainly oriented towards the maintenance side and, as the Regional and Housing Prime Contracts were implemented, this role was assumed by either the Prime Contractor or the Defence Estates staff involved in the direct management of those contracts. As a result, Housing Officers, and other staff within the Housing Delivery function, are now able to focus on the core customer care activities relating to the occupation of Service Families Accommodation. Removal of the maintenance activities meant that the previous numbers of Housing Officers was unsustainable, however, there is still a strong presence with 150 Housing Officers in 55 locations across the United Kingdom and Housing Officers are still available to occupants through family Consultative Groups and HIVE clinics.

Nevertheless, we do recognise that where occupants were used to reporting problems through a local office, often face-to-face, they now have to contact a central (free phone) helpdesk for repairs and area offices (Housing Information Centres) for allocations. This change has inevitably led to some dissatisfaction on the part of the customer community and we are aware that there is a view that the role of Housing Officers is unclear. We are, therefore, working hard with all housing stakeholders to reassure them that Housing Officers remain the face of Defence Estates, and still have overall responsibility for the Service Families Accommodation estate.

We are not complacent and the Ministry of Defence's focus is to continue making the improvements our stakeholders and occupants seek. To this end, a review was undertaken in July 2008, involving representatives from Defence Estates, the Army and the Royal Air Force Families Federation, specifically to establish best practice and improve service delivery across Housing Information Centres, The results are currently being considered for early implementation. In parallel, a review of Housing and Technical Officers is underway to re-brigade existing resources to enhance occupant interface and oversee maintenance standards. Further, initial discussions are underway with 'HouseMark' to benchmark our business with housing associations of a similar size and complexity and to better understand the challenges we face.

Regular briefings on Housing delivery are now held with the Under-Secretary of State, and with representatives from the Service Families Federations, and these provide an opportunity to monitor progress across all areas of activity supporting the management of military housing and associated services. We are hopeful that the significant steps taken to target specific areas for improvement, together with the joint commitment from the Housing Directorate and key stakeholders, including the Chains of Command and the Service Families Federations, underscore a commitment to improve the level of service.

SUPPORT FOR SERVICE PERSONNEL TO OWN THEIR OWN HOMES

34.  (Recommendation 35) While we recognise the great value in welfare terms of the close-knit community that Service provided accommodation ensures, we support the MoD's recent initiatives to help members of the Armed Forces achieve home ownership. We consider that moves towards more stable basing of Armed Forces personnel will provide the MoD with more opportunities to develop new home ownership initiatives. It is vital that the MoD begin work on developing new initiatives now, that it works in partnership with the social housing sector, and that the resources to ensure their success are committed early. (Paragraph 141)

The Ministry of Defence is committed to helping Service Personnel get onto the housing ladder. In March 2008, the Prime Minister announced funding for a Ministry of Defence £20M affordable housing pilot. The Department is currently inviting commercial interest through open competition and will announce the outcome in December 2008, with implementation by April 2009.

Ministry of Defence officials are working with Communities and Local Government to implement the housing related commitments made in the 'Nation's Commitment'. The Welsh and Scottish administrations are including Service personnel within priority groups for shared equity schemes (in England this already exists under the Key Worker Living arrangements). In addition, access to these schemes will remain open for 12 months after an individual leaves the regular Armed Forces to assist with those currently on recurring deployment activities and personnel returning back from overseas. For seriously injured Service personnel there will be 'additional preference' when allocating Adapted Social Housing and access to Adapted Affordable Homes, through application for Disability Facilities Grant. Payments under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme/ War Pension Scheme will be disregarded when means testing the Disability Facilities Grant. Legislation is being changed to permit Service personnel, when leaving the Armed Forces and applying for social housing, to demonstrate a local connection in the place they have been serving, and we expect this to be in place by November 2008. In addition, the Ministry of Defence will offer void properties to Service personnel leaving the Services in a way that does not delay an application for social housing.

PAY AND ALLOWANCES

35.  (Recommendation 36) We found General Dannatt's comparison of the Armed Forces personnel pay with traffic wardens and police constables unhelpful. Pay is only one component of Service personnel's remuneration package which makes such comparisons far from straight forward. It is vital that remuneration remains competitive and does not deter people from considering a career in the Armed Forces or from remaining in the Services. Our Armed Forces are among the best in the world and their pay should reflect this. We note that the overall basic pay package does not appear to be a major cause of Armed Forces personnel leaving the Services (Paragraph 149)

Civilian jobs can appear to attract better pay but, as recognised in the Committee's report, Service personnel's basic pay is part of a wider remuneration package. This makes direct comparison with civilian jobs far from straightforward. Currently, a trained private in the Army is able to earn between £16,227 and £25,182 depending on their trade and length of service. However, there have been a number of recent improvements to the remuneration package for individual on operations. A private deployed for 6 months will receive: the Operational Allowance worth £2,380 (introduced in October 2006); Longer Separation Allowance of over £1,000 (at the minimum level), Council Tax Relief providing an average of about £142 for a 6 month tour (introduced in September 2007) and the Operational Welfare package—more free calls and better internet access.

We remain committed to the present system of setting pay for the Armed Forces through the independent Armed Forces Pay Review Body. The Armed Forces Pay Review Body's recommendations take account of broad comparability with the pay of civilian occupations of similar job weight and responsibility within the United Kingdom, as well as Service manning, operational tempo, the unique demands of Service life and wider economic considerations. We would wish to see this process continue as a key means of delivering pay that is attractive to new recruits and competitive to retain serving personnel.

In 2007 the Government accepted the recommendation for a 3.3% pay increase, and the most junior ranks got 9%. In 2008, the pay award was 3.5% including an uplift in X factor. In a wide ranging interview with 'The Sun' newspaper, General Dannatt made clear that he welcomed the efforts of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body to secure for the Services competitive pay awards over the previous 2 years. He stated that he was pleased that the Armed Forces had had above inflation pay rises over the last couple of years. 

As reflected in recent Armed Forces' Continuous Attitude Surveys, many Service personnel remain satisfied with their level of pay. However, pay remains a positive source of satisfaction for many, as reflected in the Armed Forces' Continuous Attitude Surveys. On the other hand, pay has become one of the top three retention negative factors for the Army after the effects of operational commitments on family and personal life and opportunities outside. Pay has also become one of the top ten retention negative factors for the other two Services.

Full acceptance of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body's recommendations play a very important role in demonstrating that Service personnel, working above and beyond the Defence Planning Assumptions norms in a period of enduring high operational tempo, are genuinely valued by the Government and the Nation.

FINANCIAL RETENTION INCENTIVES

36.  (Recommendation 37) We note that the MoD has acknowledged that some Service personnel have had trouble understanding their allowances and has introduced a 'ready-reckoner' to help personnel determine their eligibility and entitlement to allowances. In its response to our Report, we expect the MoD to set out its analysis of the difficulties that personnel may have in understanding the allowance package, the causes of those difficulties, and the extent to which the ready-reckoner resolves the difficulties. (Paragraph 152)

The Ministry of Defence acknowledges that some Service personnel have had difficulty in understanding their allowances but it continues to strive to simplify the allowances package wherever possible. The allowances package is complex in order to be comprehensive to compensate and reimburse a broad variety of personnel with many differing requirements. In addition, the allowances package is targeted to ensure best value for money.

The introduction of Joint Personnel Administration has necessitated a cultural change for Service personnel who are now required to self-administer many of their allowance claims. The change process will not be completed overnight but will be helped by ongoing education of the allowance package and Joint Personnel Administration system. The Department continues to disseminate allowances information to personnel which highlights their entitlements. For example, the "Guide to Allowances", produced for service personnel and their families, has recently been updated and is due to be released imminently. Additionally, further work, resulting from independent reviews of Joint Personnel Administration, will be undertaken to improve the user friendliness and interface of the i-Expenses on Joint Personnel Administration.

The Armed Forces' Benefit Calculator, launched by Ministry of Defence on 1 April 2008, builds on the previously launched Pension Calculator and enables Service personnel and potential recruits to work out the value of their total remuneration package. It provides Service personnel with both a better understanding of their total financial benefits (incorporating basic pay, specialist pay and individual allowances) and also an indicative value for non-financial benefits. It has proved very popular with over 32,000 calculations being completed in its first five months of operation. This initiative also provides educational information to support the Department's ongoing work with the Financial Services Authority to raise financial awareness amongst personnel as part of the Government's cross-Department National Strategy on Financial Capability.

37.  (Recommendation 38) We note that the MoD uses Financial Retention Incentives as a temporary emergency measure to maintain operational capability. Take-up rates have been mixed: FRIs for aircrew, special forces and submariners have had high take-up rates, while FRIs for nurses, the Royal Marines and the Infantry have not been so successful. We note that there are more Financial Retention Incentives operating in 2008 than there were in 2007. This is a reflection of the worsening manning situation in pinchpoint trades. (Paragraph 155)

38.  (Recommendation 39) We share the Armed Forces Pay Review Body's concern that Financial Retention Incentives may not prove to be cost effective over the long term. We understand the necessity of these measures, but we have concerns that Financial Retention Incentives may divert investment away from addressing the underlying causes of worsening retention. In its response to our Report, we expect the MoD to provide a breakdown of the total cost of each Financial Retention Incentive and the numbers of Armed Forces personnel who have been retained. We also expect the Government to set out its assessment of how Financial Retention Incentives will impact on pay scales over time, particularly for those trades which have been in receipt of successive, large Financial Retention Incentives, such as submariners who can receive up to £25,000 and aircrew who can receive up to £100,000. As pinch point trades often involve small numbers the manning situation in those trades can change rapidly. We expect the MoD to keep FRIs under constant review to ensure that money is not spent unnecessarily (Paragraph 156)

The Department uses Financial Retention Incentives as a temporary measure to sustain operational capability. We acknowledge that there are more Financial Retention Incentives currently in payment than in 2007. The Department views this increase as a result of the enduring operational requirements placed upon the Armed Forces rather than broader manning issues.

Financial Retention Incentives are only introduced as part of a remedial, or pre-emptive, package when there is an urgent operational need quickly to stem the outflow of personnel and guarantee a number of man years Service. This provides the Services with a period of time in which to address the underlying non-remunerative issues. As part of any Financial Retention Incentive proposal the Services must include an exit strategy along with success criteria to assess the Financial Retention Incentive against. The performance of a Financial Retention Incentive against the success criteria is assessed annually and it is turned off early should the criteria be met. On completion of the period of endorsement, the single Services must complete a post project evaluation detailing the success of the Financial Retention Incentive in providing a period for the underlying issues to be resolved.

As short-term measures, the Department is of the opinion that lump sum Financial Retention Incentives offer the most immediate effect on retention. Each one is unique in its requirements and design. Accordingly, the most appropriate amount for a Financial Retention Incentive will differ but it needs to be significant enough to affect the decision to stay.

The Department acknowledges that Financial Retention Incentives are only short term and that it cannot rely on purely transactional measures to secure retention in the longer-term. However, at a time of enduring high operational tempo and high intensity operations when the Armed Forces continue to operate in excess of Defence Planning Assumptions, it is vital that the Department makes use of all the available options within the remuneration package to retain personnel. It is also worth noting that an increased Commitment Bonus of £15,000 will be introduced from 1 April 2009. This is specifically targeted at stemming Other Rank outflow across the three Services, predominantly between the 4 and 8 year points. The Department does keep its pay structure under review. The Strategic Remuneration Review is examining the strategic rationale and effectiveness of the whole financial reward package (including pay, allowances, specialist pay and Financial Retention Incentives). It takes into account the need to recruit, retain and motivate sufficient, capable individuals to meet manning requirements.

The Department believes that building significant sums into payscales is less targeted and provides less value for money. In addition, it is also much more difficult subsequently to remove elements of remuneration from the basic payscales for what is judged to be a temporary issue. Each cadre is judged on their own merits and the most appropriate remuneration package recommended. Where issues are judged to be longer term, then the Department will consider such solutions as specialist pay and bespoke pay spines.

The cost of each Financial Retention Incentive currently in payment, and the number of personnel retained is detailed below:

Financial Retention Incentive	Cost to date	Number retained
Aircrew (Continuation)	£3M	43
Infantry	£12.62M	2,804
Royal Marines	£5.4M (including commitment bonuses)	540
Specialist Nurses	£1.72M	86
Special Forces	£4.05M	81
Royal Navy Category A2 Nuclear Watchkeepers	£1.45M	58
Royal Navy Category B2 Nuclear Watchkeepers	£3.825M	153
Royal Artillery	£90,000	20
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineer Vehicle Mechanics	£1.49M	213
Royal Air Force Firefighters	£138,000	23
Royal Air Force Regiment	£595,000	85

The Committee will wish to note that the uptake rate for Specialist Nurses, reported in our initial memorandum at 19% is now much improved, at 65%.

JOINT PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION

39.  (Recommendation 40) The Joint Personnel Administration system offers potential efficiency and business benefits. However, we are concerned that Service personnel are not receiving the money that they are entitled to because JPA is difficult to use. A number of military administrative and support posts have been cut as part of an efficiency programme and as a result, Service personnel are not getting the help which they require and should be entitled to. We consider that these difficulties stem from poor planning and ineffective training. In its response to our report, we expect the MoD to set out what action it plans to take to address what is, in our view, a totally unacceptable state of affairs. (Paragraph 161)

40.  (Recommendation 41) The Joint Personnel Administration call centre is the frontline for Service personnel who have questions about their pay, allowances and career. As such, it is critical that the advisers staffing it are thoroughly trained and properly equipped to perform their roles. However, the feedback we have received suggest that they are not. We welcome the Government's recent indication that additional training for call centre staff has improved levels of customer satisfaction. In its response to our Report we expect the MoD to provide us with an update on levels of customer satisfaction. (Paragraph 162)

Joint Personnel Administration is a major change programme to modernise the administrative support to all members of the Armed Forces. The Armed Forces are benefiting from more harmonised and simplified business processes and policies and, for individuals, greater visibility of their personal information and the benefits of self-service use. Where self-service administration has been introduced it has been well received, with the ease and speed of dealing with expenses proving extremely popular.

Joint Personnel Administration training has been subject to continuous review and improvement since initial implementation. However, it is recognised that there are still issues in terms of the training needed to ensure that individuals get the most out of the self-service capability. The Under Secretary of State therefore recently commissioned an independent study to look at Joint Personnel Administration training. The Ministry of Defence is currently looking at the recommendations arising from this study and will draw up an action plan to deliver improvements in the Joint Personnel Administration system/person interface.

Separately, the Service Personnel and Veterans' Agency, working with their Commercial Partners EDS, and the single Services, has seen overall self service personnel satisfaction levels increase from 68% in November 2007 to 77% in June 2008[3]. Processes, knowledge and communication initiatives have been implemented to improve the Enquiry Centre and back-office functions and Enquiry Centre agents now complete a 16 week training course and visit units to gain a better understanding of the needs of the individuals they are there to support. As a consequence, communication between Service Personnel and the Enquiry Centre is improving. The impact of these measures has seen 47% of personnel surveyed identifying an improvement in the services provided by the Joint Personnel Administration Centre in the preceding three month period. In particular, self service satisfaction with Joint Personnel Administration Centre contact has increased from 31.5% to 45.5%.

SINGLE SERVICE PARITY

41.  (Recommendation 42) The differences in terms and conditions between each Services are a cause of discontent. Whilst we acknowledge that it is important for each Service to have the flexibility to respond to its unique circumstances, in an era of increasing joint operations, the MoD must give serious consideration to how different terms and conditions in the three Services could be better aligned. We recommend that both the MoD and the Armed Forces Pay Review Body should urgently consider how this could be best achieved. (Paragraph 166)

The Ministry of Defence and the three Services agree that it is appropriate to strive towards increased harmonisation of terms and conditions of service both in response to the increasingly joint nature of operations and in order to address anomalies raised by service personnel. The evidence submitted via the web forum to the Committee needs to be set against the context of the wider effort that the Ministry of Defence and the Services have already made to eliminate unnecessary irritants and align terms and conditions of service where ever possible.

Pay is a distinct and significant element of Armed Forces Terms and Conditions of Service. Pay 2000 was introduced to provide a common pay system across the Armed Forces and hence contributed to the harmonisation of terms and conditions of service across the Services. Pay 2000 provides an effective incremental pay system underpinned by an objective Job Evaluation methodology. It is human nature to make comparisons with anyone perceived as 'better off' and service personnel especially within the tri-service environment are no different. Nonetheless, the Ministry of Defence is not complacent and ongoing Job Evaluation continues to review the job weighting of Armed Forces trades across the rank structure to ensure personnel are assigned to the pay band appropriate to the nature of their role. Despite this, Pay 2000 does have features that can create divisiveness and the Ministry of Defence, with the Armed Forces Pay Review Body, will keep these under review.

Introduction of Joint Personnel Administration in 2006 has also driven forward greater alignment between the three Services having removed the vast majority of variation across the three Services' terms and conditions of service during the harmonisation process leading up to its introduction. It is hoped that entitlements can be further consolidated as the three Services continue to work, with the Ministry of Defence Central staff, to simplify and harmonise the package. However, this harmonisation approach has to take account of the significant structural differences between the single Services, for example due to the demands of their unique operating environments and the recruitment, retention and retirement requirements of each Service. As the committee acknowledges, each Service therefore needs flexibility to seek "tolerable variation" in the regulations to meet their operationally essential needs.

RETIREMENT AGE

42.  (Recommendation 43) The Armed Forces require an age profile which is focused on youth and physical fitness. However, the MoD must be careful that its retirement policies do not lead to experienced Service personnel leaving before they are due to go. Experienced personnel are a valuable resource and the MoD's policies should reflect this. We are concerned that the differences between the retirement policies in each of the three Services creates a disjointed system and causes inequalities. (Paragraph 170)

43.  (Recommendation 44) We call upon the MoD to explain how that differences in retirement policies can be justified on grounds of combat effectiveness and how differences in retirement policies fits with the MoD Unified Diversity Strategy mission statement and the Royal Navy Diversity and Equality Policy Statements. (Paragraph 171)

Achieving a balance of age and experience in the Armed Forces is fundamental to maintaining operational effectiveness. The Armed Forces exercise a degree of flexibility in retirement age based on the qualifications and experience of the individual and policy on retirement age rests with the single-Services based on their unique characteristics and manpower requirements. The Services are exempt from the age related provisions of the Article 13 EC Employment Directive 2000, and have an exemption from the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006. A detailed rationale for these exemptions was developed in consultation with the Department's Legal Advisers and lodged with the Department for Work and Pensions who have the lead on this legislation.

The Armed Forces have a number of age-based rules relating to recruitment and retirement and there are different ages for entry across the Services; the Army has a younger recruitment age than the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, reflecting their greater need for fighting capability rather than technical skills. The delivery of fighting power is primarily the domain of youth, but the Armed Forces also need to "grow" people with the right experience levels to fill senior posts. They need to be able to attract young people and progress the best of them through to command positions at non-commissioned and officer level. Accordingly, the majority of personnel are recruited when they are young and at a junior level. Thereafter, training and advancement is progressive, since acquiring Service knowledge is, by definition, progressive. Recruitment at more senior level only occurs for posts that require certain skills where the Services have a skills shortage and where the only requirement to fight is likely to be in self-defence, for example medical personnel. In the Armed Forces the normal upper retirement age is 55, but this may be extended subject to the exigencies of the Service in question.

The Royal Navy grants longer careers by selection and Extensions of Service on a case by case basis to retain experienced officers, ratings and Royal Marine other ranks to meet both the needs of the Service and of the individual. Extensions of Service beyond normal retirement age are not only granted towards the end of careers but also, for certain officer Specialisations, earlier. Where appropriate Extensions of Service beyond the retirement age of 55 are granted; this practice will continue and possibly increase. As part of the Navy Board Personnel Change Programme, engagements and associated retirement ages have been reviewed and careers may be extended by between 2 and 15 years depending on strength and demand within Specialisations.

Naval Service retirement age policies remain under scrutiny. Retirement age policy has recently changed and, in the longer term the Naval Service will have the same officer retirement age as the other two Services but introduction needed to be gradual so as to manage numbers and avoid correspondingly large reductions in promotion numbers and loss of incentive, which in turn could affect operational capability. Personnel flows, in terms of numbers joining, transfers to longer careers and promotion, have been gradually adjusted to reflect this change as well as changes in demand.

The Army has removed age based terms of service in favour of length of service based terms of service. This is leading to increased opportunities for older Service personnel. It is important to note however, that an army career remains a physically demanding one, and the age profile of the Army must therefore remain youthful.

The Royal Air Force's function and manpower demography is considerably different to the other two Services as it is less dependent on physical endurance attributes and, generally, more demanding of a technical edge. For that reason, whilst the normal retirement age is 55, the Royal Air Force manning branch operates a very flexible approach to retaining personnel who wish to serve beyond that date, the more so in Pinch Point trades. This flexibility also offers opportunities to react to short term fluctuations in the manpower mix, not least in reacting to the level of competition in the civil aviation employment market.

TRANSFERS

44.  (Recommendation 45) Transfers between Services can help encourage personnel to remain in the Armed Forces. However, the number of transfers has to date been low. We consider that this is a mechanism which could be examined further as a possible way of encouraging retention. We welcome the Minister's commitment to look at how the transfer system could be improved and we expect the MoD's response to our Report to set out details of how those improvements will be achieved. (Paragraph 177)

The Ministry of Defence has considered further the issue of intra and inter Service transfers. Whilst it is agreed that processes involved can be slow due to the requirement to consider manpower structural issues, the single Services believe that, overall, the transfer mechanism works well for both inter- and intra-Service transfers.

In service transfers between Services

The Ministry of Defence believes that the number of individuals transferring between Services will always be low, conducted by people who see an opportunity early in their careers or where a particular niche capability exists in another service. Differences in ethos and culture between the services play a significant factor in the decision to transfer, both positive and negative, and it is not considered that the number transferring rather than leaving the Armed Forces will ever be large.

In 2006 the National Audit Office noted the additional effort to ensure that the internal transfer market within the Army is marketed effectively. Commanding Officers are told to ensure that soldiers considering leaving the Service understand the transfer options open to them. This works effectively, with 550 soldiers transferring internally in 2007-08 (out of 1,487 applications). In Q1 of financial year 2008-09, there were 156 voluntary transfers out of 236 applications. Since 1 April 2006, 30 individuals have transferred from the Army to the Royal Air Force, 14 to the Royal Navy and 26 to the Royal Marines. Over the same period the Army has received 5 individuals from the Royal Air Force, 6 from the Royal Navy and 1 from the Royal Marines. This reflects a small, but significant transfer market between the Services.

Transfers of Candidates whilst in the Recruiting Pipeline

Good joint working relationships exist in the Armed Forces Careers Offices where the three Services work together to ensure that eligible potential recruits are not lost to the Armed Forces as a whole. If for example, during the recruitment and selection process, a candidate is found unsuitable for the Royal Navy or Royal Marines, or is considered better suited to another Service, he or she is encouraged to approach the Army or Royal Air Force as an alternative.

The tri-Service recruiting information system, introduced in July 2008, enables candidates to have applications for more than one Service recorded at any one time. It also facilitates the transfer of a candidate's details to one of the other Services should the candidate wish to change focus from one Service to another whilst in the recruiting process.

EFFICIENCY AND CHANGE PROGRAMMES

45.  (Recommendation 46) In addition to the current high operational tempo, the Armed Forces face pressures which arise from the various efficiency and change programmes such as the Defence Change Programme and Force Capability Changes. We do not doubt the calibre of personnel in the Armed Forces and their commitment to maintaining the highest standards, but, a combination of demands has created an exceptional burden. We accept the necessity of the change and efficiency programmes, but the MoD cannot neglect the resulting impact on Service personnel. We believe that the MoD must do more to manage the pressure on Service personnel. (Paragraph 180)

The Ministry of Defence is committed to a long-term programme of modernisation. The aspiration is to improve defence capability and make the department more efficient, thus enabling the transfer of resources to the front line. The Department works hard to minimise the unnecessary impact of these programmes on all of its staff, including the Armed Forces personnel, while ensuring that the programmes deliver their intended outcomes.

SUPPORT FOR VOLUNTEER RESERVES

46.  (Recommendation 47) Reservists are vital to our Armed Forces and deserve a high level of support. However, in several areas the level of support needs to be improved substantially. We find it unacceptable that the MoD has not developed a welfare package that responds to the unique circumstances of Volunteer and Regular Reservists. We recommend that this should be addressed as a matter of urgency. (Paragraph 185)

In view of the measures being taken to better integrate Reservists with their Regular counterparts, break down perceived inequities (in both directions) and eradicate duplications, the Ministry of Defence remains unconvinced of the merits of a unique support package for reservists.

The deployed Reservist attracts exactly the same deployed welfare provision as his or her Regular counterpart. There is also a high level of welfare support available to the families of deployed Reserve personnel and also to Reservists on their return from operations. This support is explained in detail when an individual is mobilised.

However, it is recognised that Reservists present some unique problems, for example, communication with Reservists and their families can be particularly challenging due to their geographic spread and distance from their training units. The Ministry of Defence is endeavouring to overcome these issues, for example through greater utilisation of internet links to those in the remoter locations. This problem is more relevant for the Territorial Army as a greater proportion of Regular Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force personnel live off base and therefore these Services already have well honed processes for responding to the needs of their off base personnel.

47.  (Recommendation 48) We note that the MoD has instituted a dedicated mental health assessment programme for Reservists, but we are concerned that the number of Reservists who have used it to date has been small. In its response to our Report, we expect the MoD to set out the reasons for this. (Paragraph 187)

The existence and purpose of the Reserves Mental Health Programme has been widely communicated to serving and veteran Reserve communities and to the National Health Service authorities. The Programme has been advertised on the SaBRE[4] website and in articles in Service journals and publications. Most importantly, all Reservists are given a mental health brief and an information leaflet about the Programme on mobilisation and demobilisation and also receive follow up information on return to their parent unit. The importance of making all those who may need help aware of what is available is fully recognised.

The Reserves Mental Health Programme was designed to cope with an initial surge and a 'high' estimate in enquiries. Although it was recognised that the number requiring assessment and treatment could be lower than anticipated, the Department wished to avoid the risk of being overwhelmed by the initial demand. The number of Reservists enquiring about the service has been lower than anticipated under the 'high' scenario and this is taken as good indication that the service is being contacted appropriately by those who need it. Statistics from the Kings College Centre for Military Health Research London, addressing the overall rate of psychological morbidity among serving and retired reservists, indicate that we should not expect large numbers to seek this service.

Other routes, which complement the Reserve Mental Health Programme, exist to help Reservists with post deployment mental health issues. Reservists who seek help whilst mobilised are referred directly to one of the Ministry of Defence's Department of Community Mental Health units without first being assessed under the Reserves Mental Health Programme. General Practitioners may also refer current or former Reservists to one of six community mental health pilots being set up across the United Kingdom by health departments in conjunction with the Ministry of Defence; each has a trained community veterans' mental health therapist. Five have been launched since November 2007 and the sixth is due to open shortly. The Medical Assessment programme based at St Thomas' Hospital, London is also available to all veterans, including former Reservists, with operational service since 1982 with mental health concerns related to that service. In addition, some Reservists find the help they need through normal NHS routes.

48.  (Recommendation 49) The Reserves provide the MoD with vital capability on operations abroad and in the UK. We acknowledge the important role they play in the Armed Forces. However, Reserves are often used to augment and backfill other units which can damage morale and motivation and undermine retention. We look to the MoD to examine whether the way it uses Reserves contributes to voluntary outflow. (Paragraph 189)

One of the key roles of the Reserve Forces is to augment or back-fill Regular units. Current operational commitments often provide exciting and satisfying operational jobs which Reservists find stimulating and recent attitude surveys support the Ministry of Defence's view that undertaking such activity does not damage the morale or motivation of Reservists.

In the most recent Royal Navy/Royal Marine Volunteer Reserve Continuous Attitude Survey (2007) over 70% responded positively about working with regulars on their last mobilisation, with 78% feeling welcomed into the posted unit (11% responded negatively). The top five factors that influenced decisions to leave centred on line management, personal development and work/life conflict (poor management/leadership, bored with the Royal Naval Reserve/Royal Marine Reserve, work/employment pressures, lack of opportunity for promotion and personal/family pressures).

The Army does not consider that the nature of its employment of Reservists damages morale and motivation and undermines retention. Wherever practicable Territorial Army members are deployed as formed 'cohorts', but they deploy as individuals where there is an operational requirement for this. The results of the last Territorial Army Continuous Attitude Survey, conducted between November 2007 and February 2008, were in line with previous surveys. Two thirds of the officers and soldiers remain broadly content with Territorial Army life, as opposed to a less than a fifth who were dissatisfied.

Whilst the Royal Auxiliary Air Force loses some 18% of its people each year, half of these personnel are still within their first 2 years of service and under training, and have found that attendance requirements cannot be accommodated within their domestic and employment commitments. In the Reserve Air Forces Survey 2008, 78% of Reservists expressed satisfaction with the type of tasks they had to perform and 75% expressed satisfaction with the variety of tasks. On mobilisation, 77% reported that they felt their skills had been adequately used, and 84% felt they had been adequately prepared for mobilisation.

Nevertheless, Voluntary Outflow is higher than we would like and the Ministry of Defence is not complacent about the retention of trained Reservists. To this end, through the use of Intelligent Selection, with very few exceptions, only those personnel who are willing to be mobilised are deployed, whether on Operations or to augment or back-fill other units.

Furthermore, the use and retention of Reservists are both areas that our Strategic Review of the United Kingdom Reserve Forces is examining. This review is due to report in early 2009.

49.  (Recommendation 50) We are concerned that information about the impact of Reservist's commitments on their civilian employment is anecdotal and unquantified. The MoD must urgently commission research into this issue, and, if necessary, consider legislation to ensure that the rights of Reservists are protected. (Paragraph 191)

A wide range of legislation provides employment protection to Reservists. Specifically, the Reserve Forces Safeguard of Employment Act 1985 provides express employment protection to Reservists. The two key sections are:

• Section 1—Reinstatement of civil employment after whole-time service, which gives the employee the right to be reinstated to the job they had prior to mobilised service on terms that are no less favourable than those that would have applied had the individual not been called out. If this is not reasonable and practicable then the employee should be taken back on the most favourable terms and conditions which are reasonable and practicable in the specific case.

• Section 17—Prohibition of dismissal for liability to whole-time service, which gives the Reservist protection from dismissal on the grounds that they are a member of the Reserve forces.

In addition, Reservists may, like any other employee, benefit from the legal safeguards found in the Employment Rights Act 1996, such as protection from unfair dismissal and constructive dismissal as well as protection provided in common law.

Whilst there has not been any official research into this issue, the number of cases being brought against employers by Reservists under either Section 1 or Section 17 is closely monitored. To date only one employer has been prosecuted under Section 17, and, despite the mobilisation of over 17,000 reservists to support operations since 2003, only 29 individuals have applied to bring cases before a Reinstatement Committee. Of these 10 cases were withdrawn, 6 settled before a hearing commenced, 3 were won by the employer and 5 won by the applicant. One is yet to be heard whilst the outcome of the remaining 4 cases is not known.

The Department believes that these statistics demonstrate that there is not a serious issue with either discrimination or employment protection for Reservists and it is therefore questionable as to whether further legislation would provide real benefit to Reservists. As a result, the Ministry of Defence's preferred policy is one of continued engagement and education of employers about the Reserve Forces. The findings of SaBRE sponsored research conducted in 2007 demonstrated that this policy is proving successful with employer's showing a more positive attitude towards employed Reservists.

THE MILITARY COVENANT

50.  (Recommendation 51) Members of the Armed Forces make sacrifices on behalf of civil society and in return they and their families should receive appropriate support. However, we do not see how formalising the Military Covenant would provide that support. In our opinion any formalised Military Covenant would become a political instrument rather than an instrument to protect the interests of men and women in our Armed Forces. As such, it would divert attention from what is important: ensuring Armed Forces personnel receive what they are entitled to. (Paragraph 195)

The Department agrees with the Committee that the Armed Forces and their families should receive appropriate support in return for the sacrifices they make. That is why we have recently published our paper 'The Nation's Commitment: Cross-Government Support to our Armed Forces, their Families and Veterans'. This cross-Government strategy sets out over 40 measures to improve the support that the state provides to the Armed Forces community. It also examined the relationship between the nation, the government and its Armed Forces, as well as the unique nature of life in, after and in support of the Armed Forces.

The 'Nation's Commitment' is the result of extensive consultation with the many and varied stakeholders, including those who would benefit by it, the public and charitable bodies that jointly deliver it. In acknowledging that there is a mutual moral obligation between the Nation and its Armed Forces the 'Nation's Commitment' complements, rather than replaces, extant doctrine such as the Army's statement of the Military Covenant. It is written not as a contract, nor as a legal obligation; but as a tangible commitment on the part of the Government to its Armed Forces.

The essential starting point of this commitment is that those who serve must not be disadvantaged by what they do and that this will sometimes call for degrees of special treatment. This foundation stone is underlined by four enduring principles. First, that despite the unique nature of their profession, Service people and their families should be able to manage their lives as effortlessly as any other citizen. Second, that the obligation on Service personnel and their families to move much more frequently than most people should not disrupt their access to public services. Third, that in accepting the risks, hardships and limitations of Service life, Service men and women should receive proper return for this sacrifice. Finally, the 'Nation's Commitment' cannot be delivered in isolation; it requires commitment from Government and the Devolved Administrations to take account of any potential impact on the Service community when considering policy or legislation changes.

We also agree that attention should be best placed on ensuring that the Armed Forces receive that to which they are entitled and that is why we have established an External Reference Group to monitor implementation, to produce an annual report on progress and a full review after five years.

AN INDEPENDENT ARMED FORCES FEDERATION

51.  (Recommendation 52) We have listened carefully to the arguments both for and against an Armed Forces Federation. We are open minded about the benefits of such a Federation, but we are concerned that the MoD is not. We recommend that the MoD considers more constructively the possible benefits which may be gained from an independent Armed Forces Federation, and encourage the MoD to consult with the British Armed Forces Federation. (Paragraph 203)

The responsibilities of the three Services towards their employees and their families are much greater than any civilian employer. The Services feed, clothe, house and discipline their personnel in a way not replicated elsewhere, creating forces capable of defending the interests of the United Kingdom, and it is currently assessed that an Armed Forces Federation would impair the effective command chain and relationship essential to the delivery of that capability. As articulated in the evidence provided to the Committee, the Department considers that there are sufficient avenues for Service personnel, and their families, to express their views on matters which affect their Service or their welfare. We listen closely to these views, which influence the decisions we make and the policies we produce to support our personnel in those aspects of Service life where others, in evidence to the Committee, argued that collective and individual representation need a vehicle for expression.

The Armed Forces Pay Review Body provides independent advice to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Defence. It aims to deliver a balanced remuneration package for the Armed Forces that supports recruitment, retention and motivation, particularly at times of high operational pressure. Their deliberations include independent research and meeting Service personnel and their spouses; for their latest report they held 300 meetings with 3,800 Service personnel and spouses.

The Naval, Army and Royal Air Force Families Federations provide an independent voice for Service personnel and their families. Twice a year they represent the views of Service personnel and their families directly to the Under Secretary of State for Defence and Service representatives and they are a source of views for the Armed Forces Pay Review Body. As a result of the Families Conference 2008, the Federations will also hold quarterly housing meetings with the Under Secretary of State for Defence, the Chief Executive Defence Estate and the Director of Housing Defence Estate. Other organisations, such as the Forces Pension Society and the Armed Forces Lesbian and Gay Association, also provide Service personnel with avenues outside the chain of command through which they can voice their concerns.

More recently the Department announced the continuation of the External Reference Group created for the work on the Command Paper 'The Nation's Commitment: Cross-Government Support to our Armed Forces, their Families and Veterans' published in July 2008. This group will include representatives from the Families Federations and key Service charities and will provide direct feedback to Ministers and senior officials from across Government on the welfare issues affecting Service personnel, their families and veterans. It will also monitor implementation of the published commitments and produce an annual report on progress. We expect the organisations on the External Reference Group to canvass the views of those they represent in order to accurately reflect their concerns and issues.

The Ministry of Defence commissions regular, confidential surveys across the Services and Service spouses to help us monitor the welfare and well-being of our people. These surveys cover a range of issues including allowances and entitlements, bullying and harassment, and questions about accommodation and assist us in targeting those issues of greatest concern to our people.

As the Committee is aware, we have introduced independent members for the new Service Complaint Panels and established an independent Service Complaints Commissioner. These additions to our internal complaints process are aimed at giving confidence to our people, and to their families, that we take their complaints seriously and that we want to ensure that they are treated fairly.

Service personnel may join organisations such as British Armed Forces Federation. However, we are not aware of any groundswell of opinion from members of the Armed Forces for the establishment of a federation and the last figure we have for membership of the British Armed Forces Federation was approximately 200. Any discussion to date on an independent Armed Forces Federation has not revealed any additional benefits to those already provided by the independent organisations already consulted and the chain of command. However, as we have said before, we do keep the situation under review, and will speak to any group that seeks to represent the interests of our people.

2   A person who is neither a Commonwealth citizen nor a British protected person nor a citizen of the Republic of Ireland. Back

3   Service Personnel and Veterans' Agency Customer Satisfaction Survey. Back

4   SaBRE - Supporting Britain's Reserves and Employers. Back