Government Response

The Government responded to this petition on Thursday 23rd January 2025

Resource constraints have impacted across all areas of Education and Defence including support to Cadet activity. Cadet funding is kept under review and must be balanced against other priorities.

MOD Funding of Cadets: The general level of MOD funding for cadet activity has remained largely unchanged over the past 5 years and comes from numerous sources within Defence, including single Services (Royal Navy, Army and RAF).

Cadet Force Adult Volunteer allowance: Adult Volunteer remuneration comes from single Service budgets and whilst only a portion of activity delivered by adult volunteers attracts remuneration through the volunteer allowance, this nevertheless represents a significant component of the running costs for the delivery of their cadet activity. Defence seeks to preserve the quality of the cadet experience but there are financial and other constraints that have impacted across all areas and this includes the delivery of the cadet experience, not just for school based cadet activity (Combined Cadet Forces) but for community cadets too (Army Cadet Force, Air Training Corps, Sea Cadet Corps). We recognise that Adult Volunteers are the cornerstone of the MOD Cadet movement, and we are alive to the challenges that they face in delivering their vital role, so we are seeking to ensure that they are properly supported.

Supporting Cadets in schools - the Cadet Expansion Programme (CEP): Recognising the benefits of cadet activity to Young People and Society and in schools, the joint MOD/DfE CEP was launched in 2012. The programme has increased the number of cadet units in UK schools to over 500. Through the CEP more than 250 new units have opened in state schools with priority given to less affluent areas. Prior to CEP, 75% of school cadet units were in independent schools; now around 60% are in the state sector. In September 2018, the then Secretary of State announced an ambition to grow the number of cadets in schools to from 46,000 to 60,000. We are currently at approximately 90% of aspiration. Since FY 21/22 the level of investment by the MOD into the CEP has grown year on year (currently £3.6 million per year) so that more young people can enjoy the benefits of the cadet experience in schools. This commitment remains unchanged.

School Staff Instructors (SSI): The School Staff Instructors are considered a vital component for the successful delivery of school-based cadets and the MOD remunerates School Staff Instructors through the mechanism of volunteer allowance and this level of support has remained unchanged. As part of the initial CEP Phase 3 plan, the Department for Education agreed to match the funding for this SSI volunteer allowance through the mechanism of SSI grant funding, in state schools in England until the end of August 2023 but agreed to extend this for a further year until August 2024. However, they were unable to extend the SSI grant funding beyond this point into this academic year. The MOD and DfE work closely to seek ways to improve the support to school-based cadets. This includes the provision of School Cadet Engagement Officers (SCEOs) and Contingent Support Officers (CSOs).

Ministry of Defence