Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to maintain the size of the regular Armed Forces as set out in the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, published in November 2015.

The Armed Forces have active and targeted recruitment campaigns which are proving effective; intake to the UK Regular Armed Forces was 16,340 in the 12 months to 31 March 2020, an increase of 30.9 per cent compared with the previous 12 months. Although recruitment figures have exponentially increased, we are not complacent and recognise that outflow also increased slightly by 5.7 per cent to 15,460 in the same 12 months. To improve retention, we closely monitor the impact of Service life on individuals, particularly in areas where there are shortages, and take steps to address issues arising.

Measures include the 2019 Armed Forces pay rise of 2.9 per cent which also increased starting pay by 6%, one of the biggest awards within the public sector; Flexible Service, introduced in April 2019 affording personnel more control over their working patterns; the new Future Accommodation Model (FAM) which gives personnel greater control over their housing arrangements; the Service for Experienced Re-joiner and Volunteer Engagements (SERVE) launched on 24 June; and Wrap-around childcare pilots that alleviate the associated challenges faced by our personnel.