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Ministry of Defence

Answer

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many reservists mobilised for operational service under (a) Operation Telic 1 and (b) Operation Telic 2 under the provisions of the Reserve Forces Act 1996 have lost their jobs since returning from service; what his Department did to support them in retaining their employment rights; and if he will make a statement. [151426] Mr. Caplin: There is no requirement for reservists to provide the information requested to the Ministry of Defence. There is, therefore, no comprehensive record of the numbers of reservists who may have lost their civilian job. However, indications are that civilian employers have been very supportive of reservists and, of over 8,600 reservists called-out to support Op Telic, we are aware of only 14 individuals who have brought cases under the 1985 Act. The Ministry of Defence provides detailed advice to demobilising reservists to ensure that they are aware of their legal right to reclaim their civilian employment. The Supporting Britain's Reservists and Employers (SaBRE) campaign team provides a help line and a website which gives additional information and advice. Also, each Reserve Forces and Cadet Association (RFCA) has an Employment Support Executive who is able to offer advice and assistance to reservists who are experiencing problems returning to their civilian employment.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

417 c573-4W; 151426

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Armed conflict Deployment Advisory services Employment Iraq Government assistance Peacekeeping operations Reserve forces Termination of employment Iraq conflict

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk