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Written question asked by Siobhain McDonagh (Labour) on Monday, 15 April 2024, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 17 April 2024. It was answered by Andrew Murrison (Conservative) on Monday, 13 May 2024 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Armed Forces: Health

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of armed forces personnel were (a) Medically Not Deployable and (b) Medically Limited Deployable in each year since 2010, broken down by service branch.

Original answer

The following table provides the number (n) and proportion of UK Armed Forces personnel, broken down by Service, with a Medical Deployability Standard of Medically Limited Deployable (MLD) and Medically Non-Deployable (MND), as at 1 April of each year from 2010 to 2023:

Service

Royal Navy

Army

RAF

MLD

MND

MLD

MND

MLD

MND

Date

n

%

n

%

n

%

n

%

n

%

n

%

01-Apr-10

1,843

5.2%

2,938

8.3%

14,786

14.5%

6,736

6.6%

1,472

3.7%

3,941

9.8%

01-Apr-11

1,995

5.6%

2,882

8.1%

15,217

15.0%

6,952

6.9%

1,616

4.0%

3,966

9.9%

01-Apr-12

1,786

5.4%

2,866

8.6%

14,319

14.5%

7,480

7.6%

1,561

4.1%

3,865

10.1%

01-Apr-13

1,825

5.8%

2,697

8.6%

12,237

13.0%

8,021

8.5%

1,402

4.0%

3,634

10.3%

01-Apr-14

1,732

5.7%

2,859

9.4%

10,667

12.2%

7,938

9.1%

1,412

4.3%

3,599

10.8%

01-Apr-15

1,846

6.1%

2,840

9.4%

10,122

12.3%

8,246

10.0%

1,433

4.5%

3,461

10.9%

01-Apr-16

1,932

6.5%

2,892

9.7%

10,001

12.5%

8,308

10.4%

1,618

5.2%

3,622

11.7%

01-Apr-17

2,044

6.9%

2,722

9.2%

9,971

12.7%

7,890

10.1%

1,845

6.0%

3,304

10.7%

01-Apr-18

2,032

6.9%

2,762

9.4%

10,005

13.0%

6,907

9.0%

1,952

6.4%

3,321

10.9%

01-Apr-19

2,145

7.3%

2,864

9.8%

9,964

13.3%

6,702

8.9%

2,139

7.1%

3,480

11.6%

01-Apr-20

2,279

7.8%

2,930

10.1%

9,434

12.8%

6,667

9.0%

2,310

7.8%

3,675

12.4%

01-Apr-21

2,396

8.1%

2,899

9.8%

8,937

11.6%

6,447

8.4%

2,399

8.0%

3,455

11.5%

01-Apr-22

2,306

7.7%

3,279

11.0%

9,388

12.2%

7,600

9.8%

2,458

8.2%

3,884

13.0%

01-Apr-23

2,197

7.5%

3,286

11.2%

9,263

12.4%

7,669

10.2%

2,488

8.5%

4,081

13.9%

The answer was corrected by Andrew Murrison (Conservative)

on Friday, 17 May 2024 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Corrected answer

The following table provides the number (n) and proportion of UK Armed Forces personnel, broken down by Service, with a Medical Deployability Standard of Medically Limited Deployable (MLD) and Medically Non-Deployable (MND), as at 1 April of each year from 2010 to 2023:

Service

Royal Navy

Army

RAF

MLD

MND

MLD

MND

MLD

MND

Date

n

%

n

%

n

%

n

%

n

%

n

%

01-Apr-10

1,843

5.2%

2,938

8.3%

14,786

14.5%

6,736

6.6%

1,472

3.7%

3,941

9.8%

01-Apr-11

1,995

5.6%

2,882

8.1%

15,217

15.0%

6,952

6.9%

1,616

4.0%

3,966

9.9%

01-Apr-12

1,786

5.4%

2,866

8.6%

14,319

14.5%

7,480

7.6%

1,561

4.1%

3,865

10.1%

01-Apr-13

1,825

5.8%

2,697

8.6%

12,237

13.0%

8,021

8.5%

1,402

4.0%

3,634

10.3%

01-Apr-14

1,732

5.7%

2,859

9.4%

10,667

12.2%

7,938

9.1%

1,412

4.3%

3,599

10.8%

01-Apr-15

1,846

6.1%

2,840

9.4%

10,122

12.3%

8,246

10.0%

1,433

4.5%

3,461

10.9%

01-Apr-16

1,932

6.5%

2,892

9.7%

10,001

12.5%

8,308

10.4%

1,618

5.2%

3,622

11.7%

01-Apr-17

2,044

6.9%

2,722

9.2%

9,971

12.7%

7,890

10.1%

1,845

6.0%

3,304

10.7%

01-Apr-18

2,032

6.9%

2,762

9.4%

10,005

13.0%

6,907

9.0%

1,952

6.4%

3,321

10.9%

01-Apr-19

2,145

7.3%

2,864

9.8%

9,964

13.3%

6,702

8.9%

2,139

7.1%

3,480

11.6%

01-Apr-20

2,279

7.8%

2,930

10.1%

9,434

12.8%

6,667

9.0%

2,310

7.8%

3,675

12.4%

01-Apr-21

2,396

8.1%

2,899

9.8%

8,937

11.6%

6,447

8.4%

2,399

8.0%

3,455

11.5%

01-Apr-22

2,306

7.7%

3,279

11.0%

9,388

12.2%

7,600

9.8%

2,458

8.2%

3,884

13.0%

01-Apr-23

2,197

7.5%

3,286

11.2%

9,263

12.4%

7,669

10.2%

2,488

8.5%

4,081

13.9%

Medically downgraded personnel are those personnel who have been assessed by a medical board and subsequently awarded a Medical Deployability Standard of either Medically Limited Deployable (MLD) or Medically Non Deployable (MND).

The rise in MLD and MND rates is likely to be multifactorial and is a result of extrinsic and intrinsic factors. MOD are committed to retaining personnel in specialist trades or who possess niche skills that benefit Defence, and this may contribute to the increasing number of MLD and MND personnel. However, there are a range of interventions being delivered to address employability and deployability which are intended to mitigate the impact on Defence whilst continuing to provide the necessary medical support to our people.

The following table provides the number and proportion of UK Armed Forces personnel, broken down by service, with a Medical Deployability Standard of Medically Limited Deployable (MLD) and Medically Non-Deployable (MND), as at 01 April of each year from 2010 to 2023:

Service

Royal Navy

Army

RAF

MLD

MND

MLD

MND

MLD

MND

Date

n

%

n

%

n

%

n

%

n

%

n

%

01-Apr-10

1,843

5.2%

2,938

8.3%

14,786

14.5%

6,736

6.6%

1,472

3.7%

3,941

9.8%

01-Apr-11

1,995

5.6%

2,882

8.1%

15,217

15.0%

6,952

6.9%

1,616

4.0%

3,966

9.9%

01-Apr-12

1,786

5.4%

2,866

8.6%

14,319

14.5%

7,480

7.6%

1,561

4.1%

3,865

10.1%

01-Apr-13

1,825

5.8%

2,697

8.6%

12,237

13.0%

8,021

8.5%

1,402

4.0%

3,634

10.3%

01-Apr-14

1,732

5.7%

2,859

9.4%

10,667

12.2%

7,938

9.1%

1,412

4.3%

3,599

10.8%

01-Apr-15

1,846

6.1%

2,840

9.4%

10,122

12.3%

8,246

10.0%

1,433

4.5%

3,461

10.9%

01-Apr-16

1,932

6.5%

2,892

9.7%

10,001

12.5%

8,308

10.4%

1,618

5.2%

3,622

11.7%

01-Apr-17

2,044

6.9%

2,722

9.2%

9,971

12.7%

7,890

10.1%

1,845

6.0%

3,304

10.7%

01-Apr-18

2,032

6.9%

2,762

9.4%

10,005

13.0%

6,907

9.0%

1,952

6.4%

3,321

10.9%

01-Apr-19

2,145

7.3%

2,864

9.8%

9,964

13.3%

6,702

8.9%

2,139

7.1%

3,480

11.6%

01-Apr-20

2,279

7.8%

2,930

10.1%

9,434

12.8%

6,667

9.0%

2,310

7.8%

3,675

12.4%

01-Apr-21

2,396

8.1%

2,899

9.8%

8,937

11.6%

6,447

8.4%

2,399

8.0%

3,455

11.5%

01-Apr-22

2,306

7.7%

3,279

11.0%

9,388

12.2%

7,600

9.8%

2,458

8.2%

3,884

13.0%

01-Apr-23

2,197

7.5%

3,286

11.2%

9,263

12.4%

7,669

10.2%

2,488

8.5%

4,081

13.9%

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
21508
Session
2023-24
Related items
Armed Forces: Health
Friday, 24 May 2024
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects
Armed forces Health
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk