Armed Forces: Officers

(asked on 9th July 2020) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the socio-economic diversity among people training to become officers in all parts of the armed forces; and what steps he is taking to encourage more applicants from lower socio-economic groups to apply to join the armed forces as an officer.


Answered by
Johnny Mercer Portrait
Johnny Mercer
Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
This question was answered on 14th July 2020

The Ministry of Defence does not hold information on the socio-economic backgrounds of Armed Forces personnel which could inform such an assessment. 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 education and training provided allows individuals to gain the necessary skills and experience to enable them to progress as far as their aptitude will take them, regardless of their background.

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