Armed Forces: Morale

House of Lords written question – answered at on 25 February 2008.

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Photo of Lord Dykes Lord Dykes Spokesperson in the Lords (Europe), Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs, Spokesperson in the Lords (Cap Reform), Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What assessment they have made of morale in the Armed Forces, particularly the Army's infantry and logistical units; and whether they are considering measures to improve morale where necessary.

Photo of Baroness Taylor of Bolton Baroness Taylor of Bolton Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Procurement)

There is not an exact measure of morale but an assessment is made based on the continuous attitude surveys (CAS) as well as visits to meet personnel by senior staff and bodies such as the Armed Forces Pay Review Body and Directorate of Operational Capability.

The results of the latest single service CAS questions on how individuals rate their own morale are shown below; however, this information cannot be broken down to particular units:

"Rate your own morale" Royal Navy Royal marines Army RAF
Officers Ratings Officers Other Ranks Officers Other Ranks Officers Airmen
Very Good 13% 13% 35% 21% 9% 9% 7% 8%
Good 50% 36% 45% 42% 42% 32% 43% 38%
Average 28% 33% 16% 26% 30% 31% 31% 29%
Poor 7% 13% 4% 9% 16% 20% 15% 17%
Very Poor 2% 5% 0% 2% 3% 8% 4% 9%

Our aim is to maintain morale and promote stable levels of retention through policies that genuinely reflect the priorities of our people and their families while optimising their operational effectiveness. Therefore, for example, we have improved pay and introduced new equipment. We have improved accommodation and continue to do so pledging £8 billion over a 10-year period. We have also made improvements to travel allowances to permit personnel to get home more easily and we continue to refine the operational welfare package while also promoting measures such as work/life balance and career breaks to improve the day-to-day lives of service personnel and their families.

However, it is true that there are significant challenges in keeping some groups up to strength. Consequently some areas, for example the infantry and medical specialist, are busier than intended. Retention measures such as commitment bonuses, re-engagement packages, and financial retention initiatives (FRI) continue to be used to encourage longer service, improve morale and reduce voluntary outflow. There is a FRI in place for infantry soldiers at the four-year point, and more than 2,000 soldiers have signed up for this package.

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