Report Highlights Shortages Within UK Armed Forces
MPs have stated that the UK’s armed forces have insufficient numbers of servicemen and women to meet the demands of the ongoing hostilities in both Iraq and Afghanistan. According to information provided in a report by the Commons public accounts committee, two months ago, the personnel deficit was 5,850; equating to 3.2 per cent below maximum strength. The report details how, in certain strands, service personnel are leaving the forces in numbers not seen for a decade.
These strands include positions requiring considerable expertise, such as within nursing and mechanics.
According to the committee chairman, Edward Leigh, the twin factors of downsizing and overstretching are impacting negatively on the Ministry of Defence’s ability to “retain and provide a satisfactory life for armed forces personnel”. Mr Leigh continued: "The MoD has been relying for too long on the goodwill and courageous spirit of our servicemen and women to compensate for the increasing shortages of personnel in all three services".
"The staffing situation has reached the point where there are simply not enough service people to meet levels of military activity planned some years ago - let alone the heightened demands now being placed on them by commitments such as the Iraq and Afghanistan operations."
Since 2005, a considerable increase in the number of premature leavers has been recorded. As per the committee report, prime contributory factors to this statistic include heavy workloads, and long periods spent away on deployment (with the consequential effect this has on family life).
The report additionally details the impact that reductions in recruitment levels, made in the 1990s, were now having. Regarding this, Mr Leigh said: "The MoD must think hard when it makes cuts in recruitment about the consequences for manning levels some years along the line. The consequences to manning levels are almost impossible to rectify speedily and any measures taken seem to cost more than was saved by the original cuts.”
In general terms, the committee has urged the Ministry of Defence to forge a definitive strategy by which the situation could be improved
In response to the claims, the Ministry of Defence has conceded that shortages within UK armed forces were apparent, but that “some of the pressures should soon start to ease”. Adding to this, Derek Twigg, the Defence Minister, admitted that the present “high tempo of operations” was pressurising the armed forces, but was adamant that recent retractions of personnel stationed in other areas would ameliorate the situation. These areas include Iraq, Bosnia and Northern Ireland.
"I accept that there are manning challenges and shortages in some specific areas, but we are taking action," Mr Twigg stated.
Regarding the notion of diminishing numbers of armed forces personnel, Mr Twigg commented that: "The number of people leaving has remained broadly stable and compares favourably with the retention rates in the public and private sector."
Source - Armed Forces International Newsdesk
