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<p>This Government is determined to protect and improve the morale of the Service
personnel who contribute and sacrifice so much for our country. That is why we enshrined
the Armed Forces Covenant in law and put our people at the centre of policy making
and delivery. We have introduced a raft of measures to improve Service life, including
improved welfare support, the £200 million Forces Help to Buy scheme and a permanent
commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant through a £10 million per annum fund which
starts this year.</p><p> </p><p>These efforts are yielding clear dividends, and I
am pleased that the recently published 2015 Armed Forces continuous attitude survey
demonstrates an increase in officers who rate their morale as high - up from 41% in
2014 to 45% in 2015 - while the same figure for other ranks remains level at 39%.
It is also noteworthy that the number of Service personnel who would recommend others
to join the Armed Forces has increased from 41% to 47%. These figures are encouraging,
especially when viewed against the context of the tough decisions around headcount
reductions and pay restraint.</p><p> </p><p>I recognise that more remains to be done,
and we will continue to strive to ensure that our Armed Forces feel valued and that
their contribution and sacrifice is recognised, including through the development
of the New Employment Model which aims to produce a modernised offer that reduces
the impact of Service life on individuals and their families. We remain on course
to meet Future Force 2020 targets as we move towards the agile and flexible force
needed to keep us safe at home and abroad.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p>
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