Question follow-through · 50001
Army: Recruitment
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to increase the number of serving personnel in the British Army.
About this written question
A written question asks a government minister for information in writing. Parliament publishes the question and any answer.
- Answering body
- Ministry of Defence
- Tabled
- 2 May 2025
- Target answer date
- 7 May 2025
- Answer
- 13 May 2025 · 11 calendar days after tabling
Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.
More questions by this MP on Defence and foreign affairs
- Chinook Helicopters: Accidents · 23 Oct 2025
- Chinook Helicopters: Accidents · 23 Oct 2025
- Chinook Helicopters: Accidents · 10 Nov 2025
- Ulster Defence Regiment: Workplace Pensions · 25 Nov 2025
- Defence: Finance · 2 Dec 2025
Shared topic keywords suggest a connection; they do not establish a follow-up.
Votes on this topic
- Opposition Day Motion: Defence spending and readiness - Prime Minister's Amendment · 23 Jun 2026
- Opposition day: Defence spending and readiness · 23 Jun 2026
- Armed Forces Bill Report Stage: Amendment 11 · 22 Jun 2026
These Commons divisions share a topic label. The question did not necessarily lead to a vote.
Recorded timeline
2 May 2025
Question tabled
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to increase the number of serving personnel in the British Army.
7 May 2025
Target answer date
Date supplied by the official written-questions record.
13 May 2025
Answer published
The current Government inherited a crisis in recruitment and retention from the last administration, and we are committed to addressing this through a range of targets, initiatives and measures. The British Army continues to implement Future Soldier, with...
Official data retrieved 28 Sept 2026.
Later records
Possible follow-up questions
Strong links require the same MP, department and exact heading. Other same-department questions are shown as unreviewed candidates, not as confirmed follow-ups. No debate link is asserted unless a stable source relationship exists.
Chinook Helicopters: Accidents
23 Oct 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what investigation was carried out into the incidents involving the Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) system that caused the replacement of a Chinook helicopter’s number 1 engine on arrival at RAF Odi
Chinook Helicopters: Accidents
23 Oct 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what data his Department holds on the reasons for passengers travelling on the Chinook Mk2 aircraft involved in the Mull of Kintyre crash in 1994.
Chinook Helicopters: Accidents
10 Nov 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the loss of Chinook ZD576 on the Mull of Kintyre in 1994, for what reason the Full Authority Digital Engine Control system of the RAF Chinook fleet at that time was (a) accepted off-contract wit
Ulster Defence Regiment: Workplace Pensions
25 Nov 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons part-time members of the Ulster Defence Regiment were not eligible for a pension under the terms of service at the time of their employment; and whether the Department has made any assessment of
Defence: Finance
2 Dec 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to implement increased defence expenditure to improve the preparedness and readiness of the armed forces.