Army: Recruitment
(asked on 2nd February 2017) - View Source
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 1 February 2017 to Question 61395, what the shortfall was for the recruitment of soldiers and officers in (a) The Rifles, (b) Royal Gurkha Rifles, (c) Parachute Regiment, (d) Royal Irish Regiment, (e) Royal Welsh, (f) Mercian Regiment, (g) Yorkshire Regiment, (h) Royal Anglian Regiment, (i) Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, (j) Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, (k) Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment, (l) Royal Regiment of Scotland, (m) Welsh Guards, (n) Irish Guards, (o) Scots Guards, (p) Coldstream Guards, (q) Grenadier Guards and (r) Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in each financial year between 2011-12 and 2015-16.
The table below provides in-take to untrained strength for the years requested. Departmental targets are not set down to this level.
Untrained Soldier Intake by Capbadge
| 2011-12 Actual | 2012-13 Actual | 2013-14 Actual | 2014-15 Actual | 2015-16 Actual |
Rifles | 600 | 660 | 410 | 360 | 500 |
Brigade of Gurkhas | 180 | 130 | 130 | 230 | 240 |
Parachute Regiment | 410 | 500 | 300 | 360 | 310 |
Royal Irish Regiment | 110 | 90 | 40 | 80 | 60 |
Royal Welsh Regiment | 270 | 190 | 40 | 70 | 70 |
Mercian Regiment | 430 | 310 | 100 | 180 | 160 |
Yorkshire Regiment | 360 | 300 | 120 | 160 | 170 |
Royal Anglian Regiment | 280 | 170 | 110 | 160 | 160 |
Royal Regiment of Fusiliers | 240 | 140 | 40 | 80 | 80 |
Duke of Lancaster Regiment | 340 | 180 | 120 | 140 | 160 |
Princess of Wales Royal Regiment | 180 | 160 | 100 | 160 | 140 |
Royal Regiment of Scotland | 620 | 450 | 160 | 270 | 210 |
Welsh Guards | 160 | 70 | 20 | 60 | 50 |
Irish Guards | 70 | 100 | 40 | 110 | 60 |
Scots Guards | 140 | 110 | 40 | 70 | 40 |
Goldstream Guards | 140 | 160 | 60 | 120 | 80 |
Grenadier Guards | 130 | 120 | 80 | 130 | 100 |
RMAS (Untrained Officers) | 640 | 560 | 510 | 470 | 520 |
Notes/Caveats:
The figures are for Regular Army and Gurkhas and therefore exclude the reserve services.
Intake to untrained strength is those who commence Phase 1 training. Targets are set internally and are subject to constant change and review.
Successful applicants are not counted against the intake until they start Phase 1 training.
RMAS figures include only those in the “main” intake, therefore exclude Professionally Qualified Officers (PQO’s).
Intake to untrained Royal Gurkhas Rifles includes all those into the capbadge of the Brigade of Gurkhas – they are then assigned to appropriate trade following basic infantry training.
Figures have been rounded to 10. Figures ending in “5” have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to limit systematic bias.