WASTAGE AND RIGHT TO LEAVE
98. In 2003-04, of the 35,224 applicants to the Army,
11,018 individuals, 31 per cent, were classed as deferral, failures
or withdrawals at the Recruit Selection Centre.[171]
For the RAF, 1,532 of the 9,510 applicants, 16 per cent, were
rejected on the basis of withdrawals, medical or test score failures,
found not suitable at interview and other eligibility criteria.
In the Royal Navy, about 20 per cent of applicants fail psychometric
and intellectual ability tests; 16 per cent are rejected on the
grounds of medical or fitness concerns; and about 15 per cent
withdraw before entry.[172]
For the Royal Marines, about 40 per cent of applicants are rejected
in the course of the medical and fitness tests.
TABLE 1
|
1 LOSSES AND WASTAGE AT EACH STAGE OF THE PIPELINE
|
|
2 Stage in ATRA Pipeline | 3 1999-2000
| 4 2000-01 | 5 2001-02
| 6 2002-03 to end July
|
7 Enquiries to Approved Applicants
| 8 | 9
| 10 9% | 11 6%
|
12 Recruitment Selection Centre (RSC) Attendance to RSC Passes
| 13 44% | 14 47%
| 15 39% | 16 37%
|
17 Total phase 1 wastage | 18 28%
| 19 21% | 20 20%
| 21 |
22 Standard (Adult) Entry wastage
| 23 21% | 24 22%
| 25 19% | 26 15%
|
27 Junior Entry (AFC) wastage |
28 23% | 29 17%
| 30 25% | 31
|
32 Apprentice Entry (ATFC) wastage
| 33 35% | 34 11%
| 35 21% | 36 18%
|
37 Total phase 2 wastage | 38 3.5%
| 39 3.4% | 40 3.2%
| 41 3.2% |
|
Source: MoD[173]
99. Table 1 illustrates the levels of wastage at the various stages
in the Army's recruitment and training process. In the course
of robust training, with the pressures of being away from home
and in a new environment, it is understandable that many recruits
will consider leaving the Services. In many cases they will decide
to stay having spoken to family, friends, other recruits or staff
at the training establishment. But for those who decide not to
continue there is no benefit to the Services or to the individual
if it is difficult to leave. It is unfortunate that we have also
heard evidence from the families that suggests individuals have
been confused by the 'various rules and regulations' sometimes
to a disastrous extent.[174]
100. The number of recruits entering training is not the only
measure of the success or failure of the recruitment process.
MoD should identify and promote best practice recruitment procedures
that have been shown to reduce wastage rates. Wastage costs the
Armed Forces money, and has welfare implications for recruits
who leave, and their instructors.
101. The recruiting process endeavours to identify and exclude
those who are unlikely to be successful in the Armed Forces. Inevitably
there will be recruits who do not complete training. They may
be unsuited to Service life, become injured, or they may fail
to reach the required standards to progress. The training regime
should enable as many recruits as possible to succeed. At HMS
Collingwood we were told that efforts are made to ensure recruits
have an opportunity to remain in training. If necessary recruits
are allowed to take an extended period of leave to consider whether
they wish to leave permanently. For those who wish to leave the
Services the Armed Forces should ensure the process is swift and
not disruptive.
102. In phase 1 Royal Navy and RAF recruits are entitled to exercise
their Discharge As Of Right (DAOR) having completed 28 days training
and up to the completion of six months training. These rights
also apply to Army recruits under the age of 18. For Army recruits
over the age of 18, DAOR has to be exercised before the completion
of three months training. Once that time period has passed the
recruit must wait until he has served his minimum period of service
to leave.[175] Manpower
requirements may influence the readiness of the Services to allow
recruits to leave. DOC (1) found that in phase 1 "staff and
instructors applied pressure to recruits to dissuade them from
leaving, as this reflected on success rates and wastage targets."[176]
103. We are concerned that the period of time available for recruits
to exercise their right to leave training (as described previously)
is unnecessarily restrictive and may lead to recruits going AWOL.
We heard evidence of recruits who wanted to leave the Army outside
of this time restriction who, having been refused permission to
leave, went AWOL. On their eventual return to their training unit
they were put on a charge. Mr James told us of the experience
of one particular recruit:
there was an article in a newspaper about a boy who
was going AWOL from Deepcut. Every time he went back, he was being
beaten up
.I was put in touch with the boy directly and spoke
to him on a number of occasions. The story he told me was quite
horrific. So I phoned Ron Laden [Commanding Officer at RLC Deepcut],
and I said: "Ron, remember what you told methe WRVS,
the WI, the Army, reputationyour fellows are just knocking
hell out of this lad. What are you doing? Why are you doing it?"
"Yeah", he said, "but he's useless; he just keeps
running away". I said: "But you keep beating him up."
"No, no, no," he said, "he just runs away all the
time". I said: "Ron, honestly, I have spoken to the
boy and if he is no good send him away from the Army. Why are
you doing this?"[177]
104. It is counter productive for the Services to keep recruits
who have no intention of completing their training. General Palmer
seemed to recognise this when he told us that:
We really do try to stress this point to make sure that people
who start training do understand and subsequently, during training,
that if they are unhappy, we are running a voluntary organisation
and they can leave. There are various rules and regulations, but
in my experience no individual who is really unhappy is forced
to stay in the training organisation, because it is no good for
them, it is no good for us and it upsets some of the people who
want to stay.[178]
105. We recognise the significant commitment in terms of resources
and time that the Services give to training recruits. We also
recognise that the Services are reluctant for recruits to exercise
their right to leave training unless they are certain the recruit
is making the decision after due consideration. However, we believe
that recruits who wish to leave Service training, even if this
occurs before four weeks' or after three months' training, should
be able to do so after a period of reflection. We believe that
it is better for Service men and women to be committed and motivated
while training for their chosen career and note the potential
risks to the well being of recruits being in the physically and
mentally demanding training environment against their will. We
recommend that all the Services adopt procedures that allow recruits
who express a wish to leave training an opportunity to leave their
training establishment and contemplate further before making a
firm decision on their future. We recommend that the Armed Forces
apply commonsense and understanding while dealing with recruits
who ask to leave or are due to be discharged, particularly in
respect of recruits who are retained in the Armed Forces solely
for purpose of serving out punishments that have been awarded
as a result of actions associated with the recruit's wish to
leave the Service immediately.
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