Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the shortfall was in trained and qualified staff within Defence Equipment and Support navy supply teams in each of the last five years.

To improve the skills of staff at all levels working in the inventory management function, both Defence Equipment and Support and the Royal Navy have introduced mandatory training, leading to the award of a licence to operate.

The shortfall in specialist logistics and commercial roles reported by the National Audit Office is due to the need to qualify individuals currently in post, together with the number of vacant posts. The Submarine Delivery Agency has been addressing these issues and recruitment activity has now led to 97% of posts being filled. Of those, 70% of individuals are already fully licensed to operate as an inventory manager. For the Royal Navy, the most recent assessment is that 88% of staff undertaking inventory management roles are trained and qualified.

Information on the shortfall in trained and qualified inventory management staff in Defence Equipment and Support navy supply teams has only been held centrally for the last four years and is shown below: