Ministry of Defence: Recruitment

(asked on 13th December 2023) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to increase diversity in his Department’s leadership positions.


Answered by
Andrew Murrison Portrait
Andrew Murrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
This question was answered on 20th December 2023

It can take a number of years for recruits into the Civil Service and Armed Forces to reach senior leadership positions, which is why we are working hard to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups including those from ethnic minority backgrounds, women, and LGBT+ individuals.

We guarantee Senior Civil Service recruitment panels are represented by a mix of genders, and also include ethnic minority or disabled members.

Ministry of Defence civilian job adverts are reviewed for use of plain and inclusive language, and we have invested in contracts with organisations such as Vercida to ensure we encourage a diverse applicant pool. Also, the Armed Forces recruitment processes highlight the Services’ commitment to diversity, with the aim of attracting a diverse range of new recruits including potential future senior leaders.

Civilian and military development schemes are available to colleagues from all backgrounds, and we utilise opportunities such as the Future and Senior Leaders Schemes to grow our internal talent pipelines.

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