Armed Forces Recruitment

Baroness Carberry of Muswell Hill Excerpts

Wednesday 21st May 2025 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Baroness Carberry of Muswell Hill]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what progress they have made on plans to expedite and streamline armed forces recruitment processes.

[Baroness in Waiting/Government Whip (Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent) (Lab)]

My Lords, I must start by declaring my interest as an honorary captain in the Royal Navy. I welcome noble Lords to the “Ruth show”, given that I will answer three Oral Questions today.

The Armed Forces recruitment service contract with Serco will fully unify recruitment by October 2027. The ministry has also set an ambition to make a conditional offer of employment within 10 days and to give a provisional start date within 30 days if the candidate desires it, in addition to scrapping more than 100 outdated medical policies.

[Baroness Carberry of Muswell Hill (Lab)]

My Lords, there has been some improvement in retention rates recently, but since 1999 there have been only six years when the number of personnel joining the Armed Forces was higher than the number leaving. Last month, the Chief of the Defence Staff reported that the forces are getting smaller each month to the tune of 200 to 300 people. There is low morale, as well as various forms of job dissatisfaction. Can my noble friend explain what is being done to improve retention among service personnel?

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend for her question. I want to make it very clear that I am in awe of anybody who puts on a uniform and runs towards danger; that is why we have to look after them. This Government inherited a recruitment and retention crisis from the previous Government.