SoamesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence up to what percentage of its liability the(a) Royal Corps of Signals, (b) Corps of Royal Engineers, (c) Infantry, (d) Royal Logistics Corps, (e) Royal Armoured Corps, (f) Royal Artillery, (g) Royal Air Force and (h) Royal Navy is allowed to recruit. [155204]
IngramThe Army, and individual capbadges within the Army, do not recruit as a percentage of liability. The Army is resourced to approximately 94 per cent. of liability in FY 2004–05; this defines, through a process of detailed manpower forecasting, the level of recruits required each year. The Director of Manning (Army) divides the total requirement of new recruits each year by capbadge and this will be consistent with the Army Board's endorsed manning priorities. The level of funding is set to increase gradually to nearly 99 per cent. of its liability by 2008.
In the Royal Navy and the RAF, recruiting targets are set in order to provide a level of input that will sustain manpower levels in the long-term against the projected requirement. Both Services strive to recruit 100 per cent. of their manning target in any one financial year. Royal Navy recruiting targets are variable and not a fixed percentage of the requirement.