Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 14
14
Accepted
Cadet expansion programme experiences mixed success and capacity limitations across devolved nations.
Recommendation
The Department said that it is working with the Department for Education to develop the new science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) capabilities, such as drone flying and cyber, which cadets need. This would support the UK’s wider STEM agenda.21 The Department told us that the Cadet Expansion Programme was now UK-wide, and that it had held discussions with the education departments in the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland about it. The response to the programme in the devolved nations had been mixed: the model adopted in Scotland had not proved successful; in Wales there had been a lack of enthusiasm; and while there has been more interest in Northern Ireland, a lack of capacity in the armed forces to support it has restricted further expansion. However, the Council noted that the local knowledge the RFCAs based in the devolved nations had helped with these discussions and that each RFCA employed a school cadet engagement officer.22 Establishing an NDPB
Government Response Summary
The government agrees to develop a plan by June 2026 for increasing the number of Cadets, ensuring accessibility for diverse backgrounds and regions, addressing barriers like volunteer shortages, and maintaining robust safeguarding arrangements. A programme plan is underway with regular meetings, a Senior Responsible Officer, and efforts to identify target areas for growth, attract volunteers, and assess safeguarding capacity.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
2a. PAC recommendation: The Department should develop a plan by June 2026 (one year after the publication of the SDR) for increasing the number of Cadets which sets out how it will: • ensure that young people from different backgrounds and all parts of the UK can join; • address barriers to expansion such as the number of adult volunteers; and • maintain robust safeguarding arrangements for the enlarged Cadet forces. 2.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: June 2026 2.2 The development of a programme plan for the growth in Cadet numbers is well underway. This process is being taken forward through regular meetings of the Heads of the individual Cadet Forces. A Director level Senior Responsible Officer has been appointed, and governance arrangements are evolving in light of Defence Reform. 2.3 Work is in train within the department, based on the current laydown of the Cadet forces across the UK, to determine the key target areas for growth, taking into account demographic changes and indices of deprivation. 2.4 A priority for the programme is to attract and retain sufficient numbers of suitable adult volunteers to deliver the Cadet experience. Early work includes the launch of an attitude survey of current volunteers to help in determining appropriate actions to improve the volunteer ‘proposition’. 2.5 Work is being taken forward with Cadet safeguarding hubs to assess the need for increased capacity to manage the impact of Cadet growth (noting that a proportion of incidents