Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to improve (a) recruitment and (b) retention in the armed forces.

The new Government’s work in improving retention and recruitment is part of a package of measures aimed to renew the contract between the nation and those who serve. We are modernising and refining our policies and processes to attract, and then retain the best possible talent, highlighting that Defence is a modern, forward-facing employer which offers a valuable and rewarding career. Our aim is to attract and recruit more, as well as maximise the number of applicants that successfully enter and remain in Armed Forces employment.

We have already awarded the largest Armed Forces pay increase in 22 years, ensuring that the starting Armed Forces’ salary is in line with the National Living Wage, and have set a new ambition for the Armed Forces to make a conditional offer of employment to candidates within 10 days and to give people a provisional training start date within 30 days. We have reviewed and implemented changes to the Armed Forces’ Entry Medical Employment Standards, setting new regulations for a range of conditions including asthma and eczema. Furthermore, Defence is creating a new military direct-entry cyber pathway. This will help boost our cyber resilience and support the UK’s ability to conduct operations in cyberspace.