Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has conducted a study on the potential impact of the standard of accommodation provided for members of the armed forces on levels of (a) recruitment and (b) retention in the armed forces.

The motivations of individuals joining the Armed Forces are unique to each person and will be influenced by a number of considerations, of which accommodation may be one within our wider remuneration package which includes a non-contributory pension, subsidised accommodation, incremental pay, and a range of allowances on top of basic salary. Whilst the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has not conducted a specific survey or study into accommodation as part of the recruitment offer; we recognise its importance and that is why we have developed and are implementing measures, such as the Future Accommodation Model, to ensure we continue to attract and retain the best talent to Defence.

The impact of accommodation on retention in the Armed Forces is measured by the MOD in the annual Armed Forces Continuous Attitudes Survey (AFCAS). As part of the survey, Personnel are asked about their future plans and what factors are influencing intentions to leave. In the results of the most recent survey published in May 2022, 26% of personnel cited accommodation provision as a factor influencing their intention to leave compared to 37% citing it as factor influencing them to stay. A full index of AFCAS survey results can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/armed-forces-continuous-attitude-survey-index

The Standard of Service of Accommodation is one of the reasons that can be cited when a Service person chooses to leave through voluntary outflow. In 2021-22 it was cited by 5.8% of those who chose to cite a reason for leaving, placing it 17 out of the 22 reasons cited.