Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of Armed Forces personnel are from minority ethnic communities.
The Ministry of Defence is dedicated to achieving a more diverse workforce and is undertaking a wide range of activities to increase the number of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) recruits into the Armed Forces. Work to increase BAME representation includes better understanding and greater engagement with BAME communities, reviewing recruitment processes; and better targeted marketing and communications towards potential BAME applicants.
As at 1 April 2018, BAME personnel made up 2.4% of officers and 8.7% of other ranks in the UK Regular Armed Forces. Further information, including historical trends and a breakdown by Service, can be found at the following address:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-armed-forces-biannual-diversity-statistics-2018.