MPs have criticised the Armed Forces’ £1.3billion recruitment strategy, claiming the Services are facing a ‘manpower crisis’.
They have demanded a review of the system – which was outsourced to private firm Capita in 2012 in a bid to boost numbers – as the Army, Navy and RAF remain below personnel targets.
The Ministry of Defence has already handed £752million to Capita – £54million more than planned at this stage of a ten-year contract.
Recent attempts to recruit soldiers from different backgrounds have been condemned for neglecting those who traditionally join the Armed Forces.
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson met with Royal Marines at the Commando Training Centre in Lympstone earlier this week amid the ‘crisis’
In a bid to widen the appeal of a Services career, they included a series of films that answered questions such as ‘Can I be gay in the Army?’ and ‘What if I get emotional in the Army?’.
Tory MP and former Army officer Johnny Mercer said: ‘It is clear that the military is experiencing a manpower crisis, and with the amounts of public money being spent on recruitment I would expect to see much improved results.
‘It is time for the MoD to review recruiting practices to ensure the military is having its manpower requirements satisfied.’
The Army, Navy and RAF all remain below personnel targets regarding recruitment
Figures obtained using Freedom of Information laws show annual spending on the Capita contract has been steadily rising, peaking in 2015/16 at £42.2million in the RAF and £41.3million in the Navy.
Nia Griffith, the Labour defence spokesman, said: ‘The MoD’s total and repeated failure to manage the contract with Capita is deeply worrying. Capita has fundamentally failed in its basic job of driving up numbers, with the latest figures showing the Army is now smaller than it was last year.’
The most recent figures show the Army had 77,440 personnel in October – more than 4,000 short of its 82,000 target.
Recent attempts to recruit soldiers from different backgrounds have been condemned for neglecting those who traditionally join the Armed Forces
The RAF and Royal Navy are 5.8 per cent and 3.
Recent attempts to recruit soldiers from different backgrounds have been condemned for neglecting those who traditionally join the Armed Forces.
5 per cent below their personnel targets respectively.
Manpower crisis in the military
Statistics released to Parliament show that £752million has so far been spent on the £1.3billion ten-year recruiting partnering project with Capita since it was signed in February 2012.
Last week it emerged that the deal had failed to deliver more than £100million in planned savings so far, though the MoD says it is confident it will deliver them by the time the contract ends.
Under the contract, Capita has also built the defence recruitment IT system. The project went live in November, but has been plagued by technical issues that left potential recruits unable to register.
The Queen arrives for the commissioning ceremony of Britain’s biggest and most powerful warship HMS Queen Elizabeth into the Royal Navy Fleet at Portsmouth Harbour
An MoD spokesman said: ‘In a highly competitive job market, the Armed Forces need to recruit high-quality candidates in sufficient numbers to protect UK interests at home and abroad.
‘Proactive advertising provides excellent exposure and is a proven way to recruit suitable personnel. We continue to scrutinise all spending in order to ensure we obtain value for money.
‘The Army has enough people to perform its operational requirements that help keep Britain safe, and has recruited around 8,000 people over the past year into a variety of posts.’