In his first Oral Defence Questions as Shadow Armed Forces Minister, Rayleigh and Wickford MP, Mark Francois, voiced serious concerns about the Government’s decision to withdraw a £1 million annual grant for cadet forces.
During the session, Mark pressed the Defence Minister, Luke Pollard MP, on the rationale behind the funding withdrawal, highlighting its potentially damaging impact on the next generation of military personnel and the broader community benefits provided by cadet programs.
In his question, Mark said:
“Many who join the Armed Forces began their military journey as cadets. The previous Conservative Government’s Cadet Expansion Programme successfully established hundreds of new cadet units, in state schools. However, this Labour Government has recently withdrawn a critical £1 million plus grant, that supports cadet instructors in many of these very same schools. So, will this Government as a whole- urgently review this very unwelcome decision?
In response, the Minister replied:
“The Minister for Veterans and People is reviewing the cadet force to ensure that it can continue to play a really important role for young people and support the overall mission of defence.”
