Recommendation 10

As of 1 April 2024, there were approximately 3,500 cadet units across the UK and 139,960 cadets. Of these, 88,600 cadets were in community units, supported by 22,340 adult volunteers, and 51,360 in the school- based Combined Cadet Force, supported by 4,320 adult volunteers. The Department welcomed the ambition set out in the SDR to expand the cadet forces by 30% by 2030, with an ambition to reach 250,000 in the longer term, and told us that it did not believe that this proposed expansion posed a significant risk to other youth organisations such as the Scouts 10 Qq 2, 4, 15, 43 and 44 11 Q 49; C&AG’s Report, para 16 12 Qq 46, 47 and 48 13 Q 8; C&AG’s Report, para 1.2; Written answer 28 January 2025, UIN 26238 10 and Guides.14 The Department said in a letter following our evidence session that those organisations have much greater age ranges, are more accessible because of their greater presence across the UK and have a different appeal to the cadet forces.15