§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Ivor Caplin)We are making an important administrative change to the recruitment and re-engagement procedures for the volunteer reserve forces. From 1 April this year, new recruits to the volunteer reserve forces and applicants for re-engagement will be required to agree to their unit contacting their employer about their membership. The purpose of contacting employers is to ensure that they are aware of those employees who are members of the volunteer reserve forces and also to provide information about training and call-out liabilities.
As a safeguard, reservists will have a right to submit cases to their commanding officers if they believe that they have particular reasons for not having their membership of the volunteer reserve forces disclosed. Cases will be considered on their merits.
This change to our administrative procedures will enable employers to be in a better position to plan for the absence of employees who are reservists and also to be better informed about their rights and obligations. It builds on our policy of recognising that the effectiveness of the reserves ultimately depends on a three-way relationship between the Ministry of Defence, the reservists themselves and their employers.