Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to increase recruitment and retention within the Royal Navy Reserves.

Our Reserve Forces help the UK Armed Forces meet the threats we face at home and overseas, with the scale, skills, agility and connection to society that we need, in a cost-effective way.

We are actively recruiting for the Royal Navy Reserve through our engaging social media campaign. Key themes for recruitment and retention include growth on the Maritime Reserves along with meaningful, diverse, and rewarding employment, reviewing and evolving administrative models for Part Time Volunteer Reserves to make sure they are fit for purpose, optimising selection processes for specialisations, credible career development pathways, and the modernising and flexibility of training pipelines.