Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to improve retention rates in the Royal Air Force.

As part of a Defence-wide initiative driven at a Ministerial level through the recently established Recruitment and Retention Board, the RAF is taking many steps to address the workforce challenge and retain our personnel.

A People Campaign Plan is underway, with several key initiatives, and the RAF is held to account for progress against this plan by a monthly Ministerial Recruitment and Retention Board.

Retention initiatives include the establishment of working groups to improve the lived experience of our people, increased funding for welfare projects, investment in infrastructure to improve accommodation, and increased opportunities for through-career education and promotion.

We know that when people have a positive lived experience at work, they feel valued and are more likely to want to remain in the organisation. These initiatives will help to ensure that our people feel invested in as talented professionals; they are capable, have a unified sense of purpose, and are provided with the leadership and resources they need to deliver their role to the best of their ability.