Armed Forces Personnel Policies (Hansard, 10 February 2003)

§ Lord Merlyn-Rees
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will publish the Armed Forces overarching personnel strategy main document. [HL1584]

§ Lord Bach
We are publishing today the new Armed Force overarching personnel strategy (AFOPS) main document.
The AFOPS provides a clear sense of direction for Armed Forces personnel policies. It does so by providing a framework of five strategic themes and some 28 personnel strategic guidelines. These cover the full spectrum of the service personnel policy agenda. The main document also highlights the challenges we will face in attracting and retaining our people for the future.
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AFOPS is intended to deliver real and tangible effect. The new main document looks at the achievements of the past two or so years relating to service personnel and further lays out the actions which will be taken forward in the most critical areas during the next two years.
We have placed copies of the document in the Library of the House.

§ Lord Merlyn-Rees
asked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress has been made with the appraisal of initial training of recruits across the armed services. [HL1585]

§ Lord Bach
My right honourable friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces (Mr Ingram) announced on 17 October 2002 (Official Report, col. 571) in another place that we had commissioned an appraisal of the initial training of recruits across the armed services and we undertook to publish findings. This appraisal was conducted by two senior officers from outside the personnel area and reported to Ministers. The leader of the study was given a wide-ranging remit and freedom to pursue the study.
Overall, the appraisal concluded that the department can have considerable confidence in the initial training system. It is administered and staffed by professional men and women with a strong sense of duty and purpose who have proved consistently successful in providing highly effective training for 23,000 recruits a year. Two areas were judged to need addressing. First, the department as a responsible employer needs to continue to ensure that its young people are managed proficiently, treated fairly and given appropriate levels of professional and personal support. Second, the department requires more rigorous assurance mechanisms to provide regular monitoring, to expose risk and to promote best practice. The appraisal concluded that an assurance authority should be established outside the single-service chains of command. Some of these proposals will require extra investment.
We are today placing in the Library of the House a copy of the appraisal, together with a departmental action plan responding to all of the recommendations and, where action is not already in hand or planned, assigning responsibility for examining the recommendation and taking it forward. The report is also available on the website: www.mod.uk.