§ 8. Dr. Brian Iddon (Bolton, South-East)If he will make a statement on the steps being taken to improve retention in the armed forces. [152705]
§ The Minister for the Armed Forces (Mr. John Spellar)Armed forces retention is being tackled as a matter of the highest priority. We have introduced a wide range of measures aimed at improving retention through policies that genuinely reflect the priorities of our people and their families, both at home and on deployment. Last month, we announced that we had accepted the Armed Forces Pay Review Body's recommendations in full, and our people will see that reflected in their pay packets in May, backdated to April. Last week, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced our plans to spend up to £200 million a year on an upgrade programme to bring single living accommodation up to the standards expected by service personnel in the 21st century.
In addition, I am pleased to announce that we shall introduce a further package of improvements to the operational welfare package, which will extend welfare provision to include all maritime deployments and exercises lasting two months or more. From next month, all personnel deployed on operations or on exercises lasting more than two months will receive hot shower facilities and laundry, and a comprehensive communications package, including 20 minutes of free telephone calls each week, free e-blueys and free e-mail facilities— [Interruption.]—to enable personnel to keep in contact with their families.
We will also be introducing an additional British Forces Broadcasting Services channel and NAAFI retail facilities in the Balkans, and providing additional leisure and fitness equipment in all our operational theatres for off-duty relaxation. [Interruption.] In all, this welfare package will amount to an additional £60 million over the next four years. [Interruption.]
§ Dr. IddonI am staggered by that answer. I do not know whether I have a supplementary question left, after that. I am pleased that my hon. Friend recognises that the welfare of our services personnel is an important component of retention. Although good housing is important, as other hon. Members have observed, does my hon. Friend agree that there are other factors, apart from those that he mentioned— [HON. MEMBERS: "He mentioned quite a lot."] He did, indeed. I refer to factors such as counselling when people run into personal difficulties, good schooling for children, and as my hon. Friend suggested, that partners are kept in contact with one another when they are separated, especially when people serve for long periods overseas. [Interruption.]
§ Mr. SpellarWe should understand the dilemma that the Opposition are in: those are all issues that they neglected over 18 years. We are rectifying matters. There is a long list of step that we are taking to improve the welfare of our forces, who will note the way in which the Opposition responded to our announcements. The improvements have long been required, and they recognise the pressure that our people are under and the contribution that they make. As my hon. Friend knows, we are dealing with schooling in this country through the service families taskforce and also through the service 13 education system, under my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State. We are introducing real change; the Opposition did nothing about it.
§ Mr. Mike Hancock (Portsmouth. South)I am sure that, like me, most hon. Members appreciate that. Service men and women know only too well who let them down over the previous 18 years. Most of what the Minister announced is welcome, but will he deal with two issues for which he was responsible? One is the speedy settlement of service men's compensation claims, not least the claims of men who did not have proper malaria cover when they were in Sierra Leone. The other concerns the anomalies relating to Pay 2000 and the way in which that has undermined the rates pay of for senior enlisted personnel.
§ Mr. SpellarNo one will lose money under Pay 2000. We are always prepared to examine anomalies as a system is introduced. As the hon. Gentleman will know from his previous incarnation, pay systems are extremely difficult, but from the response that we have had, we believe that Pay 2000 is a welcome development. With regard to malaria, the situation has been slightly overplayed by the media. The facts that we have ascertained do not bear out the scare stories, but where there is liability, as I understand there clearly is in one case, there will be speedy settlement of that claim.
§ Mr. Quentin Davies (Grantham and Stamford)Before the hon. Member for Bolton, South-East (Dr. lddon) gets too carried away by his Government's propaganda, I should tell him that a number of the announcements that have just been made are recycled and were originally made months ago.
Having had a few minutes of reflection, will the Minister for the Armed Forces accept that he gave a thoroughly disingenuous answer to my hon. Friend the Member for North Wiltshire (Mr. Gray) on the vital matter of numbers? There is no comparison between the planned reduction of our forces in the 1990s, which was consequent upon the end of the cold war, and the current Government's monumental failure to achieve the targets set out in their strategic defence review. What is more, they are continuing to go backwards. Is there now the slightest hope that the Army will achieve even its latest target of a 97 per cent. level of effectiveness by 2004, given that under the Government's mismanagement, net retention in the armed forces continues to decline?
§ Mr. SpellarI have to give it to the hon. Gentleman—he is certainly a good sport and is being very fair. It is good of him to remind the House and the country of his Government's lamentable record regarding the sackings, or compulsory redundancies, that occurred in the armed forces, and of the huge numbers of people in the Army whose employment was terminated early. That had a considerable effect on recruitment; indeed, the previous Government left us with significant under-recruitment. In a period of rising employment, with the lowest unemployment figures for 25 years, it is a tribute to our recruitment teams that they have been able to maintain the position, despite the appalling circumstances with which the Conservatives and their gross mismanagement left us. It is good of him to remind us of that.