Source · Select Committees · Defence Committee
Recommendation 80
80
Deferred
Health of UK Reserve Forces poor and declining, with higher outflow than intake
Conclusion
As with the regular Forces, the Reserve Forces also saw a higher outflow than intake in the year up to October 2023.168 The External Scrutiny Team (mandated to report on the ‘state of the volunteer reserve forces’) found in their 2023 annual report that “the state, 165 Q47; Q108 166 Professor Vince Connolly (AFR0006) 167 Oral evidence taken on 5 September 2023, HC (2022–23) 1804, Q18–20 168 Ministry of Defence, Quarterly service personnel statistics 1 October 2023, 14 December 2023 34 Ready for War? or health, of the Reserve is poor and declining”.169 Despite this, they welcomed what they saw as a “strong narrative emerging which recognises the purpose of the Reserve” and a desire amongst the senior leadership of the Single Services and Strategic Command to make better use of the Reserve. In particular, they welcomed decisions by the newly established Army Reserve Executive Committee.170
Government Response Summary
The committee's response implies the government acknowledged the concerns regarding the declining state of the Reserve Forces and intends to address them through recommendations from the forthcoming Reserve Forces 2030 Review and Haythornthwaite Review.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
Whilst we welcome the Government’s recognition that these issues require fresh solutions and look forward to reviewing plans based on recommendations from the Reserve Forces 2030 Review and the Haythornthwaite Review to alleviate the crisis in the recruitment and retention of both Regulars and Reserves, we do not believe it is being carried out at the required pace. We heard no evidence that gives us confidence that the recruitment crisis will be resolved anytime soon. Our strategic resilience draws also from our ability to mobilise at scale our military resources in a time of crisis in response to threats to our homeland. Our Reserves, with specialist skills and unique connections, will be at the heart of this effort, forming the core of the second- and third echelon forces that will reinforce and sustain warfighting capabilities and protect the homeland. The Strategic Reserve–built around the ex-regular reserve forces–will add further depth of capability, able to generate previously unassigned surge capacity and wider access to expertise in time of crisis or national emergencies.