DIVERSITY
45. In our report on the MoD's Annual Report and
Accounts 2005-06, we highlighted the MoD's failure to meet most
of its targets relating to women, people from ethnic minorities
and disabled people both in MoD itself and in the Armed Forces:
We are very disappointed by the MoD's poor performance
against its diversity targets. The UK Armed Services should reflect
the people it serves and despite years of good intentions, the
MoD has failed to achieve this. In addition the MoD seems to have
little grasp of the reasons behind its failure to recruit black
and ethnic minorities in sufficient numbers. We look to the MoD
to give the issue of black and ethnic minority recruitment greater
priority and recommend that it conduct research into why the Royal
Navy and RAF in particular are failing to recruit sufficient numbers
of ethnic minorities. We also recommend that the MoD learns from
the experience of other organisations such as the Police who have
increased their intake of ethnic minority personnel over recent
years.[56]
46. Mr Jeffrey insisted in evidence in October 2006
that he was personally committed to achieving increased black
and ethnic minority representation in the Services; and the Government
Response responded in some detail setting out how the MoD was
tackling the issue.[57]
The latest Annual Report and Accounts sets out the performance
against the ethnic minority targets:
Overall Service ethnic minority strength (including
Commonwealth recruits) increased to 5.8% at 1 April 2007 (5.5%
at 1 April 2006) against target of 8% by 2013. UK ethnic minority
intake:
RN 2.1% (target 3.5%, 2005-06 intake 2.0%)
Army 3.8% (target 4.1%, 2005-06 intake 3.6%)
RAF 1.6% (target 3.6%, 2005-06 intake 1.5%)[58]
As at 1 October 2007, 5.9% of Service personnel were
from ethnic minorities, of which some 60% were from the Commonwealth.[59]
47. All three Services missed their targets for ethnic
minority recruitment in 2006-07. We asked the MoD what action
was being taken to improve performance and why the RAF appeared
to have a particular problem. In its memorandum to our inquiry
the MoD provided further information on its diversity targets.
The MoD has an annual Action Plan with specific diversity targets
to increase UK ethnic minority recruits by 0.5% above the previous
year's achievement, or rolling forward the previous year's target
where this would provide a greater challenge.[60]
48. The Armed Forces have a programme to improve
recruiting among the UK's ethnic minority communities. Each Service
has a dedicated team raising awareness of Armed Forces careers
amongst the UK's minority ethnic and faith communities. Activities
include:
- presentations in schools, colleges
and to Community and Faith leaders;
- providing role models to young
members of ethnic minorities and faith communities;
- organising and operating Personal
Development Courses;
- attending careers fairs, and
cultural and religious festivals and events;
- Community Liaison Officers
working within regional networks to engage potential recruits
and their gatekeepers;
- arranging visits for ethnic
minorities to military bases.[61]
49. The MoD acknowledged that there are a number
of factors which can affect ethnic minority recruitment. These
include "commonly held aspirations of young members of ethnic
minorities; prevalent views on current operations amongst ethnic
minority communities; and concerns about ethnic imbalances and
racism in the Armed Forces in general". The RAF's recruitment
patterns have been most affected in recent years by the personnel
reductions set out in the July 2004 Future Capabilities
White Paper. The MoD told us that recruitment opportunities in
the RAF have been "particularly limited, reducing the overall
number of new RAF recruits and the number of new ethnic minority
recruits and thus constraining the scope for change in the proportion
of personnel from ethnic minorities across the RAF as a whole".
Also, members of ethnic minority communities with "high aspirations
and the necessary educational qualifications for RAF entry have
not generally considered the Armed Forces as a career of first
choice, and awareness and knowledge of RAF careers in ethnic minority
communities has traditionally been poor compared with the Army
and Royal Navy". The RAF marketing campaign and the work
of the RAF Motivational Outreach Team are seeking to address these
recruitment challenges.[62]
50. Following the evidence session, the MoD provided
further details of how it is seeking to increase black and ethnic
minority representation, and in particular to address the problem
of black and ethnic minority recruitment in the RAF. In its written
evidence the MoD states that:
Over the last year (1 October 2006 to 1 October
2007), the proportion of members of the Armed Forces from ethnic
minority backgrounds has increased from 5.7% to 5.9% of total
strength. Although recruitment outcomes are still short of requirements,
this is not for want of effort and the quality of the Armed Forces'
programmes is reflected by the consistently very high ranking
that are awarded by external assessors.[63]
The RAF is introducing Area Outreach Managers into
the seven recruitment areas to "enhance coordination of outreach
programmes, improve planning and to measure success".[64]
51. We continue to be extremely disappointed and
concerned to learn that all three Services missed their targets
for UK ethnic minority recruitment and that the RAF performed
particularly poorly against its target. Our concern is strengthened
by the fact that we considered this in our report on the Annual
Report and Accounts 2005-06 and the figures appear to have worsened.
The fact that some 60% of ethnic minority Service personnel come
from outside the UK, serves to heighten our concern. We acknowledge
that the three Services have put in place arrangements to improve
recruitment. We look to the MoD to ensure that the planned recruitment
activities of the three Services are adequately funded so that
the expected improvements in UK ethnic minority recruitment are
delivered. We expect the MoD to address this matter both in response
to our report and in its command papers to be delivered in the
spring.
52. In our report on the MoD's Annual Report and
Accounts 2005-06 we acknowledged the recent increases in the number
of women entering the Services and that it would take time for
this to impact on the number of women in senior ranks.[65]
As of 1 April 2007, women comprised 9.3% of UK Regular Forces
(9.1% on 1 April 2006) and 11.2% of 2006-07 intake (9.6% in 2005-06).[66]
The latest Annual Report includes a table setting out the statistics
for women in the Armed Forces by Service and by rank. Women now
represent 11.6% of officers and 8.8% of other ranks. However,
the percentage of women at the higher ranks remains low.[67]
53. The MoD has targets for the proportion of women,
ethnic minority and disabled civilian staff in three civil service
bands: Senior Civil Servants (SCS); Band B; and Band D. The latest
Annual Report and Accounts states that:
Proportion of women grew at SCS and Band B level,
but fell at Band D level. Proportion of ethnic minorities fell
at SCS level, grew at Band B level and stable at Band D level.
Proportion of disabled fell at SCS and Band B level and grew at
Band D level. Department only meeting diversity targets for disabled
at SCS level and women at Band B level.[68]
54. We are disappointed that the MoD only met
two of its nine diversity targets in relation to civilian personnel.
We recommend that in response to our report, the MoD sets out
how it plans to improve its performance in this area, particularly
given that the MoD has announced that there are to be substantial
civilian job losses.
Defence Procurement
55. PSA Target 6 is to "Deliver the Equipment
Programme to cost and time". In the latest Annual Report
and Accounts the MoD's assessment was that it was "on course"
to meet the target. The latest Annual Report and Accounts state
that "for the second year running the Department met or exceeded
its Public Service Agreement targets for equipment procurement,
despite them being more demanding than those for 2005-06".[69]
They also state that "The Defence Procurement Agency (DPA)
met all of its Key Targets in 2006-07 for the second consecutive
year".[70] The DPA
ceased to exist on 31 March 2007 when it merged with the Defence
Logistics Organisation (DLO) to form Defence Equipment & Support
(DE&S).
56. The Quarter 1 2007-2008 Report assessed PSA Target
6 as "some slippage". For the three performance indicators
underpinning the target:
- "Category A-C post-Main Gate pre-ISD projects
are currently forecasting to achieve 100% [target of 97%] of the
customer's key requirements".
- "Category A-C post-Main Gate pre-ISD projects
are currently reporting an average in-year variation of forecast
cost increase of 0.2% [target of less than 0.2% in 2007-08]. This
mainly reflects cost growth within the Nimrod MRA4 project".
- "Category A-C post-Main Gate pre-ISD projects
are currently reporting an average in-year variation of forecast
ISD of 0.8 months [target of no more than 0.4 months in 2007-08]".
[71]
57. The MoD Autumn Performance Report 2007, assessed
PSA Target 6 as "likely only to be partly met". It states
that "in 2007-08 we expect to meet the targets for delivery
of Key User Requirements and in-year variation of forecast costs.
We do not expect to meet the 2007-08 target for in-year variation
of In Service Dates, in part reflecting a deliberate decision
to delay deployment of the Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile
on Typhoon". The Autumn Performance Report also states that
the "major programme showing cost growth at present continues
to be Nimrod".[72]
COST INCREASES
58. For our current Defence Equipment inquiry the
MoD provided us with a memorandum in late October 2007 which included
details of the progress of a selection of major equipment projects.[73]
Some of the major equipment projects have experienced substantial
changes since the Major Projects Report 2006.[74]
Details of the forecast cost increases on the Astute submarine
and Type 45 destroyer programmes are provided in Table 5.Table
5: Cost variation on the Astute submarine and Type 45 destroyer
programmes since the Major Projects Report 2006
