Parliamentary Search

Written question asked by Lord Moonie (Non-affiliated) on Monday, 30 September 2019, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 14 October 2019. It was answered by Baroness Goldie (Conservative) on Tuesday, 8 October 2019 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Question

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have (1) applied to join, and (2) joined, Her Majesty's Armed Forces in each of the last 12 months.

Answer

The application and inflow figures for the UK Regular Armed Forces between 1 July 2018 and 31 June 2019 can be found in the following tables. As with any organisation, there is a period of time between applying to join the Armed Forces and beginning training, and therefore the two tables are not directly comparable. Application figures may appear high compared to inflow, however it can take months to translate an application into an enlistment. In many cases this will be based on individual needs, for example due to finishing education or planning start dates around family commitments. High application figures demonstrate positive reaction to advertising campaigns, and the appeal of the Armed Forces. However, given the nature of the Armed Forces, stringent entry standards are required.

Month

Jul 18

Aug 18

Sep 18

Oct 18

Nov 18

Dec 18

Jan 19

Feb 19

Mar 19

Apr 19

May 19

Jun 19

Applications

12,320

11,840

10,860

10,300

13,860

9,570

18,730

13,550

13,230

9,810

10,260

10,500

Month

Jul 18

Aug 18

Sep 18

Oct 18

Nov 18

Dec 18

Jan 19

Feb 19

Mar 19

Apr 19

May 19

Jun 19

Inflow

770

480

2,260

1,030

900

210

1,440

980

2,240

630

1,320

1,260

Notes/Caveats:

  • Figures for inflow have been provided by Defence Statistics;
  • Application figures are based on single Service estimates; official statistics have not been produced by Defence Statistics;
  • If a candidate has made more than one application, each application will be counted separately;
  • Intake comprises all personnel joining the Armed Forces either as new entrants or re-entrants.
  • UK Regular Forces do not include Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) personnel and mobilised reservists;
  • Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10, though numbers ending in a “5” have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent the systematic bias caused by always rounding numbers upwards;
  • Figures exclude Commonwealth applicants to the Army.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL17928
Session
2017-19
Related items
Subjects
Armed forces Recruitment
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk