Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of levels of social mobility in the armed forces.

The Ministry of Defence does not hold information on the socio-economic backgrounds of Armed Forces personnel which could inform an assessment of levels of social mobility. However, the Armed Forces are working in line with the Government's priority to build a fairer society, aiming to attract talent from the widest possible base from across the UK, regardless of socio-economic background, educational status or ethnicity. The skills, education, training and experience provided enable recruits to progress as far as their aptitude will take them, regardless of their background.