Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Ministry of Defence

Oral Answers to Questions

Robert Syms Excerpts
Monday 21st October 2019

(5 years ago)

Commons Chamber
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Robert Syms Portrait Sir Robert Syms (Poole) (Con)
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21. What steps his Department is taking to (a) recruit and (b) retain service personnel.

Giles Watling Portrait Giles Watling (Clacton) (Con)
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24. What steps his Department is taking to (a) recruit and (b) retain service personnel.

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Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton Portrait Mark Lancaster
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A training ship, Upholder, in Chelmsford is indeed an excellent base for the Chelmsford Sea Cadets. It is right that the sea cadets have a different funding formula from the other two services. They receive a mix of funding from the MOD and other sources. Each sea cadet unit is an individual charity. There has been much debate over the years as to whether or not that is the right way to move forward, but I should be delighted to meet my hon. Friend.

Robert Syms Portrait Sir Robert Syms
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In the past, the MOD has offered a number of bespoke packages to recruit people whose skills they need—for example, qualified doctors when the medical services have been short. Does the MOD intend to offer more bespoke packages to get people with a range of skills into the armed services?

Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton Portrait Mark Lancaster
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My hon. Friend makes a really interesting point. As we move forward there are different specialist skill sets that we need—cyber is an example, as well as medical services—and have to consider whether or not we should look at different models for joining the armed forces. One area that we are looking at is greater use of the reserves for those specialist skills and, equally, whether or not we should have some form of lateral entry, as we do with medical services.