Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Cadet Forces

Monday 1 June 2026 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Lee Pitcher welcomed the announcement of the first National Cadets Week and expressed concern about the figures showing more than 1 million young people not in education, employment, or training.
  • The Minister responded that cadet forces provide a fundamental opportunity for young people to gain confidence and experience outside of school, especially for those at risk of not proceeding to further education or employment.
  • Robert Jenrick praised the establishment of a combined cadet force at Newark academy but criticized the Department for Education for cutting funding.
  • The Minister stated that the Government has committed an additional 70 million to fund the expansion of cadet forces.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Lee Pitcher Lab Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme
Education Employment Children & Families
Context

The questioner acknowledges the announcement of National Cadets Week but expresses concern over figures showing more than 1 million young people are not in education, employment or training. Cadet forces can help address this challenge by providing youth with confidence and structure.

Question

I welcome the announcement of the first National Cadets Week, and I look forward to the new cadets action plan and the long-term vision for cadet forces. The figures released last week showing that more than 1 million young people are not in education, employment or training are deeply worrying, both for young people themselves and for wider society. Cadet forces can help meet this challenge by giving young people confidence, discipline, skills, structure and a sense of purpose, helping them to succeed and thrive. How will the Minister ensure that cadet opportunities are not only maintained but expanded, so that young people in communities such as mine in Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme can continue to benefit?

Answer from Louise Jones

My hon. Friend is right to emphasise how fundamental the cadet forces can be, especially for those who are at risk of not proceeding to further education, employment or training. They provide a fantastic opportunity for young people to have a go at something that is not school, and to gain confidence and find out what it is that they want to do. The cadet action plan will have three key aims: establishing how we can recruit and support the adult volunteers without whose amazing work we would not have the cadets at all; ensuring that we have the correct support for our cadets, including support for infrastructure; and ensuring that every young person in the country is aware of the amazing things that they can gain from the cadets.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not specify how opportunities will be expanded or maintained specifically for working-class communities.

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Q2 Lee Pitcher Lab Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme
Education Employment Children & Families
Context

The questioner acknowledges the announcement of National Cadets Week but expresses concern over figures showing more than 1 million young people are not in education, employment or training. Cadet forces can help address this challenge by providing youth with confidence and structure.

Question

I welcome the announcement of the first National Cadets Week, and I look forward to the new cadets action plan and the long-term vision for cadet forces. The figures released last week showing that more than 1 million young people are not in education, employment or training are deeply worrying, both for young people themselves and for wider society. Cadet forces can help meet this challenge by giving young people confidence, discipline, skills, structure and a sense of purpose, helping them to succeed and thrive. How will the Minister ensure that cadet opportunities are not only maintained but expanded, so that young people in communities such as mine in Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme can continue to benefit?

Answer from Louise Jones

My hon. Friend is right to emphasise how fundamental the cadet forces can be, especially for those who are at risk of not proceeding to further education, employment or training. They provide a fantastic opportunity for young people to have a go at something that is not school, and to gain confidence and find out what it is that they want to do. The cadet action plan will have three key aims: establishing how we can recruit and support the adult volunteers without whose amazing work we would not have the cadets at all; ensuring that we have the correct support for our cadets, including support for infrastructure; and ensuring that every young person in the country is aware of the amazing things that they can gain from the cadets.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not specify how opportunities will be expanded or maintained specifically for working-class communities.

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Q3 Robert Jenrick Reform Newark
Education
Context

The questioner discusses the establishment of a combined cadet force at Newark academy and expresses disappointment over funding cuts that make it harder for other schools, especially in working-class communities, to establish new combined cadet forces.

Question

The establishment of a combined cadet force at the Newark academy was an incredible step forward for the town, bringing discipline, respect, training opportunities and a sense of pride. It was very unfortunate that the Department for Education chose to cut the funding, making it more difficult for other schools—particularly schools like this, in working-class communities—to establish new combined cadet forces in the future. What can the Minister do to ensure that funding is in place so that this is not just the preserve of communities with grammar schools or public schools, and that all communities, like the one that I represent, will be given the opportunity to have combined cadet forces?

Answer from Louise Jones

I am sure the right hon. Gentleman will be well aware that we have committed an additional £70 million to funding the expansion of the cadets, which the Government he was a member of never did.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer mentions additional funding but does not specify how this funding will support working-class communities specifically.

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