Question follow-through · 97611

Armed Forces: Labour Turnover and Recruitment

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment this Department has made of trends in the level of recruitment and retention levels across the armed forces in the latest reporting period.

answeredMinistry of Defence

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: 5 Dec 2025
Target answer date: 9 Dec 2025
Answer: 15 Dec 2025 · 10 calendar days after tabling

Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.

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

5 Dec 2025
Question tabled
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment this Department has made of trends in the level of recruitment and retention levels across the armed forces in the latest reporting period.
9 Dec 2025
Target answer date
Date supplied by the official written-questions record.
15 Dec 2025
Answer published
The figures in the latest reporting period highlight that for the first time since early 2021, Armed Forces intake is now greater than outflow. In the 12 months preceding 1 October 2025 there was an increase of 13% in people joining the Armed Forces compa...

Open official record

Official data retrieved 28 Sept 2026.

Later records

Possible follow-up questions

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