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Armed Forces: Recruitment

Asked by Ben Obese-JectyConservativeMinistry of DefenceTabled Answered 29 April 2025UIN 46131

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the maximum number of non-British service personnel that can be recruited each year in (a) the British Army, (b) the Royal Navy excluding the Royal Marines, (c) the Royal Air Force and (d) the Royal Marines.

Answered by Luke Pollard

An annual Basic Training Start limit for Commonwealth citizens is applied across the Armed Forces. This is currently set at 1,350 individuals per annum and distributed accordingly: a) 1,000 Army, b) 300 Royal Navy (there is no separate allowance for the Royal Marines), and c) 50 Royal Air Force.

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