§ 23. Mr. Clifton-BrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action his Department is taking to ensure that service men remain in the armed forces after marriage. [13737]
§ Mr. SoamesWe fully recognise the importance of retaining married service personnel within the armed forces. Consequently, a wide range of incentives exists to retain and support service personnel who are married and who may have families. One of the most important is the provision of subsidised family accommodation that is located close to the service person's place of duty. These are usually in the form of married quarter estates, which allow service personnel and their families to live together in a safe and convenient community that is supported by voluntary welfare services. The armed forces also support home ownership by offering beneficial loans to service personnel and, in association with industry, a savings scheme and preferential mortgage package.
Various allowances are also targeted at married service personnel and their families. These range from assistance with boarding school education for families who are most affected by frequent moves to allowances which provide financial recompense for the disturbance caused by moving and those which compensate for the extra cost of living when serving abroad.