Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the size of the reserve forces.

A number of activities are underway across the single Services aimed at increasing the size of our Reserves.

Within the Royal Navy, social media, local civic events and marketing campaigns are utilised to engage and inform potential joiners of the opportunities available to them. A new national recruitment campaign is planned for 2025, which includes local radio and other mediums to attract new entrants.

Within the Army, good progress has been made against a package of measures aimed at improving inflow and retention. Highlights include a marketing campaign, the use of four financial incentive schemes, and the optimisation of recruiting processes.

Within the Royal Air Force, progress has been made on the establishment of regional support hubs which focus on recruitment and initial training, fast track selection events, the development of a Reserves-focused marketing campaign, and establishing a team dedicated to Reserves career management.