Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve the recruitment process for people who wish to join the armed forces.

The single Services continue to deliver improvements to recruiting practices to ensure they recruit sufficient numbers of personnel to meet the Defence need, and to make the candidate experience as efficient as possible. These improvements include the increased use of virtual application and selection techniques, balanced with opportunities for face-to-face recruiting events. This blended approach ensures the opportunities afforded by a career in the Armed Forces are accessible by people from as diverse a set of backgrounds as possible.

Concurrently, work is ongoing to enable, from April 2025, the Armed Forces Recruiting Programme to deliver a world class tri-Service recruiting experience that places the candidate at the heart of the future operation. It will inspire, motivate and develop candidates whilst meeting the needs of the single Services and wider Defence.