Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of applicants to the UK's Active Reserve forces successfully joined in the last year for which figures are available.

The UK’s Reserve Forces are a vital component of Defence, providing critical capability, specialist skills and a strong connection to wider society, while offering a flexible and cost‑effective means of meeting operational demand. Reserves underpin the Armed Forces’ ability to respond to threats at home and overseas, and the Strategic Defence Review has reinforced their importance, including our ambition to grow the Active Reserve by at least 20 per cent.

In Financial Year 2024-25, the proportion of people who applied to join the Armed Forces Reserves and who subsequently became untrained entrants was as follows: Royal Navy 7%, British Army 4%, Royal Air Force 5%, in line with a long-standing trend.

Between the point of application and becoming an untrained entrant, a variety of checks and tests are conducted to ensure that any applicant entering training is suitable for military service and that it is credible that the applicant will complete training. This ensures that the standards of the Armed Forces are maintained and that public funds and resources are not wasted. There are a number of reasons for an applicant not being successful, including medical scrutiny. Reserve applications, when compared to Regulars, also reflects an older profile of applicants together with a need to balance service with civilian work and family life. In addition, historically these tests and checks in the recruiting process have involved multiple stages and appointments, which can lengthen timelines and increase drop‑out before entry.

The Department has taken urgent and targeted action since November 2024 to improve throughput which has been low historically. The Services have already streamlined recruiting processes by reducing the number of appointments, increasing automation and using digital tools to speed up decision‑making, which has improved conversion in some areas. Reserves‑specific national and local marketing campaigns are being used to better target likely candidates and set clearer expectations from the outset. From next year, Reserve recruiting will also transition to the new Armed Forces Recruiting System, which will use modern technology and industry expertise to deliver a faster, more effective and more consistent recruiting experience across Defence.