Topical question asked in the House of Commons, by Nia Griffith (Labour). It was answered on Monday, 8 July 2019 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

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Topical Questions

Question

I am a little disappointed by that answer because when it comes to officers, there is a lot more that can be done. It is not just those from state schools who face barriers: just 10 of this year’s 600-strong cadet intake to Sandhurst are from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds—just 10. According to the MOD’s own statistics, the regulars and the reserves are also missing the Government’s 2020 target for BAME representation.

Will the Secretary of State now commit to a root-and-branch review of recruitment barriers to ensure that we have properly staffed and fully representative armed forces?

Answer

We already have a very clear idea of the barriers that exist and of the barriers that existed in the past, which is why our community engagement programmes are so important and why, since coming to the Department, I have protected those budgets.

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Secondary information

Type

Oral question

Reference

663 c18 

Session

2017-19

Oral question type

Supplementary

Chamber / Committee

House of Commons chamber

Subjects

Army Ethnic groups Recruitment

Link

View this Topical question on hansard.parliament.uk