Royal Fleet Auxiliary: Labour Turnover and Recruitment
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the progress the Royal Fleet Auxiliary has made in recruiting and retaining civilian seafarer staff since July 2024.
Answered by Mr Calvin Bailey
The Ministry of Defence keeps the recruitment and retention of Royal Fleet Auxiliary civilian seafarers under close review, including through ongoing workforce analysis and engagement with Maritime Trade Unions.
The RFA has faced sustained recruitment and retention challenges in recent years, driven in part by competition with the commercial maritime sector and differences in terms and conditions of service. In response, the Department has implemented a workforce recovery programme, supported by engagement with trade unions and wider work to improve the employee offer, including pay, conditions and flexibility.
Recent performance indicates improving trends, with recruitment increasing over the past five years and application levels reaching their highest in that period. Delivery against training pipelines has also strengthened, with Officer Cadet and Apprenticeship intake filled to high proportions of target in 2025–26.
Workforce stability has improved, with overall strength stabilising and voluntary outflow reducing between January 2025 and January 2026. While challenges remain, these improvements suggest that measures taken since 2024 are beginning to have a positive effect on recruitment and retention outcomes within the RFA. We continue to work with MTUs and RFA members to address their concerns over pay and term and conditions of service
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