A discussion held in December 2024 canvassed opinion from a wide range of existing cadet advocates, including senior military leaders, Honorary Colonels, Lord Lieutenants, council leaders and representatives from education and academia, as to what activity and governance would be required to enable the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to expand cadets. Representation included all branches of MOD cadets (Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force) as expansion was considered for all.

I, myself met with Honorary Colonels before Christmas, and just last week with a leading academic in this field, who led the team who published the University of Northampton study on the social and economic benefit of cadets. We have discussed how to work together to best advocate for our cadets, and I am committed to their expansion.

There are currently c. 75,000 cadets and c. 11,000 cadet force adult volunteers involved in the Army Cadets.

Work is currently underway to understand opportunities for expansion across Ministry of Defence Cadets. Although it is too early to make an accurate assessment on projected numbers, the work aims to reflect the important contribution cadets make to society.

Research has for example shown that participation in Cadets increases social mobility and improves the health and wellbeing of young people, producing an annual return on investment in the region of £95 million. We are committed to sustaining the Cadet Forces across the UK.

Allegations of this type are recorded under the category of bullying and harassment. On average, 10 allegations of bullying and harassment have been made within each of the three previous financial years by members of the Army Cadet Force units in Northern Ireland, although this should not be taken to assume there were 10 in each year; the numbers vary. This will include cadets and all Cadet Force Adult Volunteers (officers, adult instructors and non-uniformed volunteers). To provide the number of allegations made by those holding the rank of Lieutenant and above would be disclosive given the very small number involved.

As Minister with responsibility for Cadets, I commend the good work Cadet forces do in Northern Ireland and welcome invitations to visit its Cadet establishments. I met with Cadets in East Londonderry on 23 June 2018. I also met Cadets in Belfast on 11 November 2018. The Secretary of State for Defence has not visited Cadets in north west Northern Ireland, although he did meet with Cadets on 8 September 2018 in Enniskillen.

The Ministry of Defence publishes official statistics on Cadet strengths. The number of Sea Cadets as at 1 April each year between 2007 and 2017 can be found in the publications below.

2007-2016

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-sponsored-cadet-forces-statistics-2016

2017

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-sponsored-cadet-forces-statistics-2018

The Ministry of Defence publishes official statistics on Cadet strengths. The number of Army Cadets as at 1 April each year between 2007 and 2017 can be found in the publications below.

2007-2016 (Excel Spreadsheet - Table 1, Row 27)

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-sponsored-cadet-forces-statistics-2016

2017 (Excel Spreadsheet - Table 1, Cell M34)

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-sponsored-cadet-forces-statistics-2018

As Minister with responsibility for Cadets, I commend the good work Cadet forces do in Northern Ireland and welcome invitations to visit its Cadet establishments. I met with a number of Cadet detachments during a Remembrance event in Northern Ireland in 2017. I have no immediate plans to visit Cadet detachments in Northern Ireland in 2018, but I would be very happy to consider such visits in the future.

Yes.

I commend the good work that cadet forces do in Northern Ireland and welcome invitations to visit its cadet establishments. I have no immediate plans to visit cadet detachments in Northern Ireland but I would be very happy to consider such visits in the future.

As Minister with responsibility for Cadets, I commend the good work Cadet forces do in Northern Ireland and welcome invitations to visit its Cadet establishments. I have no immediate plans to visit Cadet detachments in Northern Ireland but I would be very happy to consider such visits in the near future.

As Minister with responsibility for Cadets, I am aware of the good work Cadet forces do in Northern Ireland and welcome invitations to visit its Cadet establishments. There are no immediate plans to visit Cadet detachments in Northern Ireland but I would be very happy to consider such visits in the near future.

The Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association for Northern Ireland (RFCA NI) is responsible for an ongoing campaign to recruit adult instructors for the Air Training Corps and Army Cadet Force in Northern Ireland. This is a highly effective campaign which has resulted in full staffing. Further details of the activities of RFCA NI can be found at the following address: http://www.reservesandcadetsni.org.uk/

The Ministry of Defence is responsible for recruitment into the Reserve Forces. For information on the numbers of Reserve personnel stationed in Northern Ireland I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 October 2015 to Question 11478 to the hon. Member for East Antrim (Mr Wilson).

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-10-12/11478/

The two newly established staff posts in the Northern Ireland Universities Air Squadron were filled in October and November 2015, and the first students were accepted on 25 November. Of the 24 student places, 11 have so far been filled.

Following confirmation earlier this month that the Royal Air Force would establish a Northern Ireland University Air Squadron at Aldergrove, two squadron staff posts are in the process of being established and expect to be recruited in time for the next academic year of 2015-16. There will be 24 student places from September 2015.

The Ministry of Defence-sponsored cadet forces offer challenging and enjoyable activities for young people, and prepare them to play an active part in the community while developing valuable life skills.

Information held centrally by the Ministry of Defence on the numbers of sea and army cadets in Northern Ireland is provided in the following tables. For sea cadets, reliable data is available from January 2005. For army cadets, estimated information on the Army Cadet Force is available from March 2012 although comparable data about the Army Combined Cadet Force is not available in the format requested. Information prior to these dates could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Since 2012 the Army has worked to improve the accuracy of their record keeping with a concerted effort to identify those cadets not actively participating and to either encourage them back into cadet activities or to remove them from the management information system. This has accounted for a significant drop in Army Cadet Force figures over the past few years. However, we are actively recruiting Army cadets in Northern Ireland and numbers are beginning to increase.

On 1 January 2014 there were 1,422 members of the Army Cadet Force and 598 members of the Army Combined Cadet Force in Northern Ireland.

In addition there were 397 adult volunteers.