Written question asked by Lord Astor of Hever (Conservative), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Baroness Taylor of Bolton (Labour) on Thursday, 8 April 2010.

Armed Forces: Retraining

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what civilian retraining is available for Armed Forces personnel who have been seriously wounded.

Answer: We take our responsibility to injured service personnel very seriously and, regardless of the amount of time served, all service personnel who are medically discharged are entitled to receive a full resettlement package through the MoD's Career Transition Partnership. This consists of time, money for training and facilitated workshops to help enable a seamless transition to civilian life. Furthermore, free lifetime job finding support is available through the Officers Association or the Regular Forces Employment Association. Additionally, we are currently working with Skill Force, who following a grant of £30,000 from the Ministry of Defence, are delivering a pilot internship programme for personnel recovering from physical and psychological injuries and illness as part of their rehabilitation pathway. Where an injury or condition prevents resettlement being undertaken while in service, the entitlement can be deferred for up to two years after discharge or transferred to a service-leaver's spouse or partner.

Secondary information