Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the full cost of training a regular army recruit undertaking phase one basic training, including (a) staff, (b) accommodation and (c) logistics costs; and how long that training takes.
The Basic Training course at the Army Training Centre (Pirbright) is 14 weeks. This is the shortest basic training course for Regular soldiers, and recruits go on from Pirbright to train in their trade for longer periods which vary depending on their selected job role.
The average cost of basic training for a soldier successfully passing the Army Training Centre (Pirbright) is estimated at approximately £33,800. This can be broken down as follows:
Cost Category | £Thousand/Trainee | Note |
Clothing | 2.0 |
|
Ammunition | 0.4 |
|
Trainee Pay | 10.5 |
|
Other stock consumption | 0.8 | Includes ration packs and respirators |
Workforce | 11.9 | Direct and indirect Workforce costs for both military and civilian staff |
Infrastructure | 6.7 | Accommodation and training facilities |
Administration Overhead | 1.6 |
|
Total | 33.8 |
|
Note: These are the latest available costings and are based on data for the financial year 2020/21