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Defence in the United Kingdom

No, I want to make some progress. I have already touched on our recognition of the importance of family welfare for the morale of our forces. That is why we are investing in modernising accommodation and revolutionising repair and maintenance services. It is why, by the end of the year, the combined upgrade programmes for single living accommodation will have delivered high-quality accommodation for nearly 9,000 people. It is why we are helping our people to take the first step on the housing ladder, by making the long service advance of pay available to people earlier in their careers, and it is why we place so much importance on getting the operational welfare package right. From visiting our forces around the world, I know that they are committed to what they do and proud of the difference they make, but they also value time with their friends and families at home. Inevitably, we shall continue to expect our people to be away from home for lengthy periods. Enabling them to keep in touch with families back home is central to their well-being and to the operational welfare package. Last year, the Prime Minister announced free postal packets for Christmas for personnel serving overseas. We have decided to make that a permanent part of the operational welfare package. For a month before Christmas, family and friends will be able to send small gifts free of postal charges to service personnel on operations. I am pleased that we can take that additional step to help maintain morale at a special time of year. It is not enough to recruit our forces into the right structures. Good training is central to ensuring that they are not only available, but effective. The defence training review programme will modernise, improve and increase the efficiency of our training system, through the provision of rationalised defence-wide training on a reduced training estate. Delivery will be realised through public-private partnership contracts with industry. It will bring significant benefits by providing our people with the best opportunities, training and living environment that we can supply. It will underpin our aspiration to recruit and retain the servicemen and women we need to meet our current and future operational challenges.