Recruitment

Mr. Harper
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people have expressed an interest in joining each of the armed forces in each year since 2000; and how this information is captured.

Des Browne
Thousands of people inquire about the process of joining the armed forces each year. They include parents, teachers and students undertaking research as well as those considering a service career. Most make contact by telephone, mail, hits on the services career websites, or by visiting armed forces careers offices for information and advice. The number of applicants in each year since financial year 2000-01 who showed a firm interest in joining is as follows:

-----------------------------------------
|           |Naval service|Army  |RAF   |
-----------------------------------------
|2000-01    |             |      |      |
-----------------------------------------
|Officers   |1,427        |1,925 |4,692 |
-----------------------------------------
|Other Ranks|13,034       |33,332|15,997|
-----------------------------------------
|           |             |      |      |
-----------------------------------------
|2001-02    |             |      |      |
-----------------------------------------
|Officers   |1,497        |1,893 |4,005 |
-----------------------------------------
|Other Ranks|12,132       |38,929|15,448|
-----------------------------------------
|           |             |      |      |
-----------------------------------------
|2002-03    |             |      |      |
-----------------------------------------
|Officers   |1,494        |1,984 |3,757 |
-----------------------------------------
|Other Ranks|13,721       |36,104|13,447|
-----------------------------------------
|           |             |      |      |
-----------------------------------------
|2003-04    |             |      |      |
-----------------------------------------
|Officers   |1,165        |2,265 |3,719 |
-----------------------------------------
|Other Ranks|10,971       |33,801|9,123 |
-----------------------------------------
|           |             |      |      |
-----------------------------------------
|2004-05    |             |      |      |
-----------------------------------------
|Officers   |1,125        |1,795 |3,193 |
-----------------------------------------
|Other Ranks|9,866        |29,413|8,260 |
-----------------------------------------
|           |             |      |      |
-----------------------------------------
|2005-06    |             |      |      |
-----------------------------------------
|Officers   |1,714        |1,963 |2,685 |
-----------------------------------------
|Other Ranks|11,517       |35,026|7,272 |
-----------------------------------------