Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Army Recruitment

Monday 3 November 2025 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Lee Anderson raised concerns about potential future legal repercussions affecting army recruitment.
  • Chris Vince thanked Mr Speaker for a remembrance service, highlighting the sacrifices made by those from his constituency.
  • Dr Al Pinkerton expressed support for the Secretary of State's goal to reverse outflows from the armed forces and mentioned damage to recruitment from previous events.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Lee Anderson Reform Ashfield
Defence Veterans
Context

Lee Anderson expressed concern over the Army's recruitment numbers and their impact on young people considering a career in the armed forces. He referenced potential long-term consequences for veterans.

Question

I share the Minister’s concerns over Army recruitment. Could she please explain to me why a young person would even consider a job in the armed forces if they may get a knock on the door in 50 years’ time to be charged with an offence when they were simply doing their duty?

Answer from The Minister for Veterans and People (Louise Sandher-Jones)

I would like to reassure the hon. Gentleman that serving in the armed forces is a fantastic career for any young person. The experiences and skills that one can gain from a career in the armed forces are second to none; I for one am deeply grateful for all the opportunities I had when I served, and I would urge all young people to consider such a career. I assure the hon. Gentleman that this Government are committed to renewing the contract with those who serve. As a veteran, I can assure him that our No. 1 priority is to defend and protect those who serve this nation.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The minister did not address the specific concern about potential legal issues in the future for veterans.

How: Reassurance, Commitment Without Specifics

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q2 Chris Vince Labour (Co-op) Harlow
Defence Veterans
Context

Chris Vince thanked Mr Speaker for a remembrance service, reflecting on those from his constituency who gave their lives. He asked about the Minister's commitment to celebrating all servicemen and women regardless of background.

Question

I take this opportunity to thank you, Mr Speaker, for the remembrance service we had this morning. It was hugely emotional, and made me think of those from my constituency who gave their lives for our freedom 80 years ago. What will my hon. and gallant Friend the Minister do to continue to champion the servicemen and women who protect this country? We should celebrate all of them, no matter their ethnicity, religion or nationality.

Answer from The Minister for Veterans and People (Louise Sandher-Jones)

My hon. Friend is right that we must celebrate everybody who contributes to our armed forces, no matter their gender or other protected characteristics. The commitment of this Government to protecting and serving those who serve this nation is total.

Answered
Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q3 Mark Francois Con Rayleigh and Wickford
Northern Ireland Veterans
Context

Mark Francois referenced comments by General Lord Dannatt regarding potential recruits' hesitations due to Labour's Northern Ireland Troubles Bill. He questioned the Minister’s response to this criticism.

Question

As General Lord Dannatt, the former Chief of the General Staff, said at the weekend, “if potential recruits to our Armed Forces do not believe that their government will stand by them when performing their duties in a lawful manner, why risk joining at all?” He was speaking about Labour’s new Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, which could see Northern Ireland veterans, without whom there would never have been a Good Friday agreement in the first place, in the dock again by next year. The Minister called opponents of this “naive”. What is her response to the former head of the British Army and the brave soldiers he led—were they all naive, too?

Answer from The Minister for Veterans and People (Louise Sandher-Jones)

Seeing as the right hon. Gentleman is attacking me for something I did not say, I can only assume that he cannot attack me—He is very welcome to check Hansard, where he will see that I was very specifically referring to people spreading misinformation. He will be able to see it there in black and white in Hansard. This Government are committed to protecting those who serve. Our first and foremost priority is to protect and ensure the welfare of those who have served, just as we have done for many people who have served in our armed forces across multiple conflicts. I can assure the right hon. Gentleman again that the Government’s commitment to veterans is total.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The minister did not directly address General Lord Dannatt's concerns about potential impacts on recruitment due to the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill.

How: Reassurance, Referencing Hansard

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q4 Mark Francois Con Rayleigh and Wickford
Northern Ireland Veterans
Context

Mark Francois quoted several critics of Labour's Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, including Lord West, Lord Glasman, and Graham Stringer. He questioned why Labour Ministers are pushing through the bill despite growing opposition.

Question

The former Labour Security Minister Lord West said recently that we “shouldn’t be doing” this. Lord Glasman, the founder of Blue Labour, said: “We must reverse it as soon as possible.” The hon. Member for Blackley and Middleton South (Graham Stringer) said that to continue this against one side makes no sense. With a Labour rebellion clearly brewing, and given that many Northern Ireland veterans were initially recruited from red wall seats, why are Labour Ministers insisting on driving their Back Benchers into the Division Lobby just to do Sinn Féin and their old comrades in the IRA a favour?

Answer from The Minister for Veterans and People (Louise Sandher-Jones)

I urge the right hon. Gentleman to remember the really serious issues that are at stake here. The priorities of this Government, as we have shown repeatedly, are to do right by the families of more than 200 British service personnel who were murdered in Northern Ireland and to ensure that we have protections and appropriate measures in place to defend our veterans; we have five protections in law and a sixth that we have control over ourselves. I can assure the right hon. Gentleman again that the Government’s commitment to veterans is total.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The minister did not address why Labour Ministers are pushing through the bill despite growing opposition from their own party and critics.

How: Reassurance, Referencing Serious Issues

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q5 Al Pinkerton Lib Dem Surrey Heath
Defence
Context

Al Pinkerton thanked the Secretary of State for his sentiments regarding recent events in Huntingdon. He expressed concern about the outflow rates from the armed forces and proposed a £10,000 signing bonus to attract new recruits.

Question

May I begin by associating myself and my party with the sentiments reflected by the Secretary of State about the terrible events in Huntingdon at the weekend? The Secretary of State’s ambition to reverse the outflows from our armed forces is absolutely right, particularly considering the damage the last Government did to our military, but it is far from clear that the Government are doing enough to achieve the necessary changes. There continue to be more service personnel leaving the Army year on year than are joining. In order to strengthen our defence, we need to give more people better incentives to join the armed forces. Will the Minister consider accelerating recruitment properly and tackling outflow rates by backing Liberal Democrat proposals for a £10,000 signing bonus to attract new recruits?

Answer from The Minister for Veterans and People (Louise Sandher-Jones)

In addition to the measures I have outlined to speed up recruitment, we are looking at expanding novel ways of entry into the armed forces, such as direct entry in the cyber stream. We are hugely focused on retention, and this is a very personal mission for me, having left the forces in 2020 and knowing what measures might have helped retain me in service for longer. We are utterly dedicated to addressing the reasons that people give for leaving, not least with our multibillion-pound investment into fixing forces housing.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The minister did not explicitly address Al Pinkerton's proposal of a £10,000 signing bonus but discussed other measures to improve recruitment and retention.

How: Referencing Additional Measures

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email