Volunteering and community service increases social responsibility and cuts criminality
I welcome the Prime Minister’s commitment to a new model of National Service, which calls on 18 year olds to enrol in a full-time 12 month military commission or to carry out one weekend per month in a voluntary community role for one year (25 days).
The pandemic reminded us of the immense value of civic service – to local communities, to our country and to the individual giving up their time. Millions of people contributed to the national effort - as NHS responders, vaccinators, vaccination site organisers, local delivery providers and much more besides, benefiting all of us.
Research shows that volunteering and community service increases social responsibility and cuts criminality – and that people who take part, almost always feel valued by the experience.
And whilst many here in the UK see the war in Ukraine as something far away and of no risk to our citizens, or China's continued threat as something created in scaremongers minds, there is benefit in recognising that our country is facing increased threats. Doing something positive that gives our young a greater sense of purpose, and a greater understanding of national service will benefit all of us.
Plenty of countries recognise the value of national service, including Sweden, Norway, and Denmark who have recently introduced such a scheme, and in France, President Macron, has announced Service National Universal – a one-month residential placement for all 16-year-olds followed by 3 months part-time voluntary service – which will be mandatory when fully rolled-out.
The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said, the scheme would promote "a shared sense of purpose among our young people and a renewed sense of pride in our country".
Against Labour's argument that the new National Service proposal plots old against young, the evidence suggests that is that young people who are the most likely to want to volunteer in their community, with two-thirds of 18-34-year-olds saying they want to help out in their area, this is in contrast with half for 35-54-year-olds and around a third of those aged 55 or older. Incredibly, during the pandemic, three in four 16-24-year-olds were already doing voluntary work, or wanted to volunteer to support the nation’s recovery. This is certainly something I have witnessed in my constituency of Penistone and Stocksbridge.
Key facts
What about those who cannot serve for legitimate reasons – will there be exemptions?
Yes.
There will naturally be circumstances where individuals cannot participate in these schemes and a key focus of the Royal Commission will be to consider such exceptions. Importantly, the assumption will be that everyone should be given the opportunity to participate, but that there must be recognition and support for those who are unable to take part.
Will military service be compulsory?
No.
18 year olds will be able to:
- Apply for a competitive, full-time military commission over 12 months in the armed forces or UK cyber defence, where they will take part in logistics, cyber security, procurement or civil response operations. This placement will be limited to 30,000 per annum, and will be selective, so that our world leading armed forces recruit and train those with the greatest aptitude.
On current data, it is estimated that around 1 in 26 18-year-olds would do a military placement. The vast majority would instead do community volunteering.OR
- Volunteer for one weekend per month, which equates to 25 days over a 12-month period, volunteering with organisations such as the NHS, fire service, ambulance, search and rescue, and critical local infrastructure and more.
How will the public be able to contribute to the design of the new service?
- A Royal Commission will be setup to design the new National Service. The Commission will be expected to set out their proposal to make sure the first pilot is open for applications in September 2025. And it is expected that the Commission will take feedback from the military, civic society and the general public.
Will the new National Service need legislation?
Yes.
If re-elected, the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak has advised that he will introduce a new National Service Act so that every 18-year-old will be required to do either military or civic national service by the end of the next Parliament.
How will this service be funded?
When fully deployed, the new National Service is estimated to cost £2.5 billion a year by 2029-30. £1 billion of this will be funded by raising an additional £6 billion a year by reducing tax avoidance and evasion – through an ongoing programme the Government has already reduced tax avoidance and evasion meaning it is at historically low levels, but that there is more to come.
The remaining £1.5 billion will be paid for using funding previously used for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). A future Conservative Government will extend the UKSPF for three years. From 2028-29 onwards, the UKSPF will be used for National Service and the Royal Commission will be tasked with making sure there remains an equitable spread of spending across the UK.
Does this affect the Government’s 2.5 per cent defence spending commitment?
No.
This is in addition to the 2.5 per cent defence spending commitment announced by the Prime Minister and rejected by Labour.
How will you make this mandatory?
The Royal Commission will be tasked to consider a range of ideas, including an incentives regime. I feel it is right that those who contribute to our national wellbeing are duly recognised.
How will the armed forces cope with 30,000 additional placements?
In making this competitive and selective, the armed forces will take on those 18-year-olds who have the aptitude to contribute to the required services – cyber, logistics, civil defence and so on. In return they will receive the best-in-class training from our armed forces.
Will all 18 year olds have to join the military?
Absolutely not.
For those who do not want to serve in the military, as noted above, there will be civic voluntary routes. It is right we expect young people to contribute to our national security and civic life, and right that as a result of doing so they benefit from learning new and important life skills.
Who benefits from this programme?
This ambitious programme has mutual benefits for country and individual alike, and we can see from Sweden, 80 per cent of young people completing national service would recommend it to their peers.
Are any roles expected to be paid?
Those who are accepted into the full-time military commission will likely be paid a stipend. It is unlikely that any voluntary work will be remunerated but the Royal Commission will be considering what incentives might be used to reward those taking part.
