Too few Armed Forces personnel make a will, claims Tory MP

More needs to be done to ensure young Armed Forces personnel have their affairs in order before heading off to war, according to MP John Glen.

Recruits are not required to make a will before they are sent off to fight for their country, but the Tory MP believes all personnel should do before they are deployed.

Speaking in a House of Commons debate, Mr Glen explained: "If we invest so heavily in the correct equipment and training for them while they are on operations, we must also have a duty of care to ensure that their affairs are in the order that they would wish them to be in if they are injured or killed."

He called for ministers to look at the issue in more detail: "It would be best to have a will pre-enrolment, but personnel should certainly have one pre-deployment," he added.

The Services Trust is keen to assist the Minister of Defence in addressing these gaps, according to Mr Glen, who suggested administrative officers be trained so that they can give relevant information about the consequences of not writing a will.

Published by Phil Hammond