Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to increase the number of serving personnel in the British Army.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The current Government inherited a crisis in recruitment and retention from the last administration, and we are committed to addressing this through a range of targets, initiatives and measures.
The British Army continues to implement Future Soldier, with a whole force of over 100,000 comprising of 73,000 Regular Service Personnel and 30,100 Army Reserve.
Recruiting and retention remain one of our highest priorities - the Army/Capita Recruiting Partnering Project is completely focused on delivering a significant increase in recruitment in 2025-26, with the Army’s Retention Strategy focusing on reducing voluntary outflow.
On 6 February 2025 we announced the award of the contract for the new tri-service Armed Forces Recruiting Service (AFRS). It will provide a streamlined, single-entry point for prospective recruits, with the aim of attracting the best talent from across the country into the Armed Forces. The service will launch in 2027, replacing the individual schemes run by the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force.
Further announcements will be made in due course, in line with the future Strategic Defence Review.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with his (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) international counterparts on the potential deployment of UK troops in support of potential international peacekeeping operations in Ukraine; and what assessment he has made of whether such a deployment would be consistent with the UK’s foreign and defence policy.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Secretary of State regularly holds discussions with his Cabinet colleagues and international counterparts on the war in Ukraine and how we can continue to best support Ukraine going forward. On 2 March, the Prime Minister chaired the Leaders Meeting on Ukraine, hosting counterparts from across Europe including Türkiye, the NATO Secretary General and the Presidents of the EU Commission, EU Council and Canada, to discuss our support for Ukraine.
The UK is ready and willing to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by putting our own troops on the ground if necessary.
We are not going to get into any further details at this stage and our focus is on ensuring Ukraine is in as strong a position as possible. When, how and on what terms this war comes to an end can only be decided by negotiations with Ukraine at the heart of them.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he plans to take to support (a) veterans and (b) bereaved service families in Northern Ireland, in the context of the closure of the Veterans' Support Office.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Government is committed to ensuring that veterans and the bereaved community, wherever they live in the UK, are able to access timely and appropriate support should they require it. The Government also recognises the unique commitment that Service families make to our country, and in particular the sacrifices of those who are bereaved. That is why we are working to coordinate and cohere the range of support available, including in Northern Ireland, more effectively.
Defence takes a holistic, multi agency approach to supporting our bereaved community, with UK wide support in place through the Single Services and the Defence Bereaved Families Group. Local support is additionally provided via the Veterans Welfare Service Northern Ireland (VWS NI), which is a specialist statutory welfare provider that supports veterans and their families via its field teams across Northern Ireland. The service provides information and practical support, including physiotherapy and psychological therapies for eligible veterans. In addition, the £500,000 Defence Medical Welfare Service pilot, which supports veterans’ health and wellbeing in Northern Ireland, is providing valuable insight to improve our understanding of veterans’ health needs locally and works closely with VWS NI. These initiatives build on the work of the 11 Veterans’ Champions in councils across Northern Ireland.
The Office for Veterans Affairs’ has recently established a presence in Northern Ireland, to support strategic coordination of organisations, programmes and initiatives for veterans’ wellbeing. The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, a charity and Non Departmental Public Body of the Ministry of Defence, supports the Thrive Together programme, which is led by the charity Brooke House and aims to establish sustainable and resilient networks to ensure veterans and their families receive prompt, effective and tailored support in Northern Ireland.
The Government is additionally working to ensure the bereaved community are clearly recognised and referenced as a cohort in their own right, distinctly separate to veterans, both internally and externally in communications and language used. This will improve clear signposting to support and resources available, and to ensure recognition of bereaved as a specific cohort no matter where they are living.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of standing down the Guard Force in Northern Ireland on the security of Army Reserve Centres; and what plans he has to support affected full-time reserve personnel.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The guarding of Army Reserve Centres in Northern Ireland is being reviewed. The Government will share further details with the House in due course.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to help ensure the maintenance of the graves of British servicemen in Simon’s Town, South Africa.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) maintain 185 graves, mostly of the fallen from the two World Wars at Dido Valley Cemetery, and (on behalf of the Ministry of Defence) 41 graves from the Anglo-Boer War at the Seaforth Cemetery in Simon’s Town, South Africa.
Maintenance includes ensuring that headstones and memorials are kept clean and in good condition through repair of weather or other damage, and that the surrounding gardens are also in keeping with CWGC standards. Further detail can be found at https://www.cwgc.org/our-work/caring-for-our-sites/.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to increase the size of the Royal Navy fleet.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Strategic Defence Review will determine the roles, capabilities and reforms required by UK Defence, including the Royal Navy, to meet the challenges, threats and opportunities of the twenty-first century, deliverable and affordable within the resources available to Defence within the trajectory to 2.5%. The review will report in the first half of 2025.