Armed Forces Recruitment 2024-02-19
2024-02-19
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The question addresses ongoing efforts by the Department to recruit new members into the armed forces.
What steps his Department is taking to recruit armed forces personnel?
In a challenging labour market, we continue to apply an array of measures to support recruitment and retention. These include the biggest pay rise in 20 years, flexible service and an improved accommodation offer.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not specify concrete figures or timeline for new initiatives.
Under Review
Working On It
Response accuracy
Q2
Direct Answer
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Context
The quality of forces accommodation is a critical factor for recruitment and retention. The question seeks clarification on local commanders' authority in addressing minor maintenance issues.
Will he consider giving local commanders greater agency in getting small repairs done locally if the national contractors fail to act quickly enough?
Heads of establishment can access an approved funding pot to address minor maintenance works, up to a maximum value of £25,000 per item.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
There is a net loss of servicewomen, with seven experienced personnel leaving for each five recruited. The question seeks specific measures to improve retention rates.
Can the Minister outline what he is doing on retention?
Over the past two years, a range of initiatives have been developed and delivered to support servicewomen. This includes uniform policies, accessible sanitary products, mentoring, flexible service, wraparound childcare, parental leave, and zero tolerance of unacceptable behaviour.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide specific numbers or deadlines for new initiatives.
Under Review
Response accuracy
Q4
Partial Answer
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Context
The armed forces provide career opportunities and the question highlights concerns about nationalist efforts to stop these visits.
Does my right hon. Friend agree that we need to encourage Army visits to schools and that nationalists in Wales damage social mobility?
The armed forces are a huge engine for social mobility. In the last year, over 5,000 school engagement visits across the UK were achieved at schools' request.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide specifics on obstacles or plans to overcome them.
Response accuracy
Q5
Direct Answer
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Context
The question addresses the progress of cadet expansion and pathways into HM armed forces.
Will the Minister update the House on progress on the cadet expansion programme?
The joint Ministry of Defence and Department for Education cadet expansion programme is progressing extremely well. Over 54,000 cadets are in school cadet units with a 400% increase in state sector units since 2012 to 268 schools.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q6
Partial Answer
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Context
Local service personnel cite issues in service accommodation as a barrier to recruitment and retention. The question addresses specific concerns about single-living accommodations.
Will the Minister commit to revisiting that decision to ensure we do right by all service personnel serving on the base before it closes?
The Government are committed to improving the quality of both service-family and single-living accommodation. Huge investment has been made to remedy this issue.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide specific plans or timelines for improvements.
Committed To
Response accuracy
Q7
Partial Answer
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Context
The question criticizes the reduction in serving personnel since 2010, citing it as a barrier to recruitment.
Why would people join the British Army when this Government have run us down to 72,000 serving personnel?
I suggest the hon. Gentleman has a word with the shadow Ministers on his Front Bench, particularly the shadow Chancellor who, to date, has failed to commit to the level of spending on the defence of this country to which the Government are completely committed.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not address question substance directly, instead criticized opposition.
Response accuracy
Q8
Partial Answer
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Context
The rise of so-called “woke” culture is seen as a barrier to recruiting the right sort of people into the military.
Does the Minister think that the rise of 'woke' makes it easier or more difficult to recruit the right sort of people?
I completely reject the premise of the hon. Gentleman's question. If he is talking about increasing the number of women in our armed forces, Lord Etherton's review into LGBT personnel in our armed forces historically, or our ambition to make our armed forces more reflective of society, then I am guilty as charged.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not address question substance directly.
Response accuracy
Q9
Partial Answer
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Context
The number of personnel in Territorial Army regiments is capped, and the questioner wants to ensure that recruitment can exceed these numbers.
The Minister and others will be aware that recruitment across Northern Ireland to the Army, the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy has always been exceptional. However, the number of personnel in Territorial Army regiments is set at a figure that those regiments cannot go above. Will the Minister look at increasing the number of TA soldiers to ensure that recruitment in Northern Ireland can exceed the current numbers?
I pay tribute to the people of Northern Ireland who, as the hon. Gentleman says, have disproportionately contributed to the defence of our country. He will know that we are committed to growing our reserve forces across the United Kingdom.
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Assessment & feedback
The specific request to increase TA soldiers was not addressed with concrete actions or timelines.
Commitment Without Specifics
Response accuracy
Q10
Partial Answer
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Context
The questioner notes significant cuts to the military, including fewer troops, sailors, aircraft and ships over the past 14 years. The Labour Party criticizes the government for missing recruitment targets since 2010.
We have 24,000 fewer troops, 4,000 fewer sailors, 200 fewer aircraft and the removal of one in five ships. The Conservatives have failed our armed forces over the past 14 years, missing their recruitment target every year since taking power in 2010 and hollowing out our military. Does the Minister honestly believe that he can look the public in the eye and claim that five more years will fix the mess that they have created, or is it time for a fresh start?
Oh, I think the hon. Gentleman knows what I am going to say in response to his question, and that is to invite him to have a conversation with the shadow Chancellor to see whether she will commit to the same level of spending on defence that this Government are committed to and, indeed, are spending right now. Will he make a spending commitment here and now in the House of Commons? If so, I am all ears.
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Assessment & feedback
The questioner's challenge was not directly addressed; instead, the minister invited Labour to commit to defence spending levels.
Shifting Blame
Response accuracy