Annual Tri-Service Survey

Thursday 23rd February 2012 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Andrew Robathan)]

Today I am publishing the 2010 recruit trainee survey annual report. All recruits and trainees passing through phase 1 and 2 training are offered the opportunity to participate in the survey which is anonymous and administered independently on behalf of the services by an external contractor.

The annual report contains the views of recruits and trainees about topics such as: the preparation for joining and their treatment during phase 1 and 2 training, food, accommodation, access to instructional and welfare staff and complaints procedures. Overall the results are positive and importantly, the findings are used by service training headquarters and units to monitor the training environment and make improvements.

During preparation of the 2010 recruit trainee survey annual report, a contractor’s error was discovered in the previously published annual report for 2009. The data error relates to the findings on four questions in the fairness, equality and diversity sections of the previously published report. The 2010 RTS annual report has been prepared using the corrected 2009 data where trends are reported. I therefore intend to place a revised version of the full recruit trainee survey 2009 annual report in the Library of the House together with the 2010 recruit trainee survey annual report.