Written question asked by Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party) on Monday, 23 October 2017, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 25 October 2017. It was answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton (Conservative) on Tuesday, 31 October 2017 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Air Force: Languages

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve foreign language skills within the Royal Air Force.

Answer: A range of measures is taken to actively promote the opportunities which the RAF can offer to individuals who have foreign language skills. These include Specialist Recruitment Teams attending academies and universities; running a bursary scheme for RAF linguist undergraduates; awarding a monetary incentive where a recruit has a pre-existing language of interest. Additionally, serving personnel may be eligible for financial awards for maintaining and utilising specialist language skills. In accordance with RAF policy for all personnel, linguists must serve at least 36 months after the completion of professional language training.

Secondary information