Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of diversity, equality and inclusion policies on recruitment to the armed forces.

The recruitment and retention of talented personnel to the Armed Forces is mission critical. We must draw from the broadest diversity of thought, skills, and background to ensure we continue to meet the threats we face and safeguard the security, stability, and prosperity of our nation. To do this, we are fostering an inclusive environment, enabling everyone, irrespective of background, to deliver our Defence outputs. Without fostering such an environment, we risk undermining our ability to attract people with valuable contributions to make. The Ministry of Defence is committed to fostering an inclusive environment to ensure that all can thrive when called upon in the most challenging warfighting scenarios.