Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the challenges within armed forces recruitment.

Defence is firmly focused on responding to the current challenges and trends related to Armed Forces recruitment. Increasing the inflow into Armed Forces recruitment pipelines is a priority which is being actioned through a range of tangible short-term deliverables, all intended to increase the breadth of potential candidates and to drive efficiencies into recruitment systems.

We also continue to apply an array of measures to support retention and refine the Armed Forces’ offer. These include financial incentives, flexible service, and an improved accommodation offer. The Haythornthwaite Review has a key part to play and teams have been stood up across Defence to implement all 67 recommendations, working to establish a reward and incentivisation architecture that will attract and retain skills.