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Army Reserve: Recruitment

Asked by Mark SewardsLabourMinistry of DefenceTabled Answered 17 June 2026UIN 8192

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Army Reserve recruitment process.

Answered by Mr Calvin Bailey

The Army Reserve is implementing new initiatives to increase its strength and return to full liability at which point the Army Reserve will grow by a further 20%. The Department keeps the effectiveness of Army Reserve recruiting under continuous review. The introduction of the Armed Forces Recruitment Service (AFRS) from 2027 will provide a single, streamlined entry point to attract high-quality talent from across society and underpin the future force.

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