Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Peter Kyle and Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton

Monday 14th January 2019 Commons Chamber

[Peter Kyle (Hove) (Lab)]

23. What recent assessment he has made of trends in the number of armed forces personnel.

[The Minister for the Armed Forces (Mark Lancaster)]

We remain committed to maintaining the overall size of the armed forces, and we have a range of measures under way to improve recruitment and retention. The challenge is kept under constant review.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mark Lancaster]

The overall manning of the armed forces remains at 93%. Crucially, that means that we are maintaining all of our operational commitments.

[Peter Kyle]

As part of the future accommodation model, service personnel are being forced off-patch. This could increase the loneliness among service personnel that has been identified by the Royal British Legion. Has the Minister made an assessment of the implications for people and for the attractiveness of coming into the forces that that will induce?

[Mark Lancaster]

Let us be absolutely clear. The future accommodation model is about choice. It is about recognising that not everybody necessarily wants to live on the patch, and about creating a more stable armed forces. For example, creating super-garrisons means that families are not being moved around the country the whole time. The aim is to create a good retention tool and, crucially, to give our service personnel choice in how they live their lives.