Nia Griffith MP, Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary, responding to the publication of the Armed Forces Quarterly Service Personnel Statistics, which show that the number of trained personnel is falling in the Army, RAF, Royal Navy and Royal Marines, said:

“These figures represent an abject failure by the Government to recruit and retain the personnel that our Armed Forces require.

“The first duty of government is to defend this country, and that means retaining an Armed Forces of sufficient strength and scale. But after repeatedly breaking their manifesto commitment to maintain overall personnel numbers, it is quite clear that the Tories simply cannot be trusted.

“Warm words alone won’t keep this country safe. We need urgent action to get to grips with the appalling crisis in recruitment and retention that has grown on this Government’s watch. This should include scrapping the useless recruitment contract with Capita, which is failing in its basic job of delivering sufficient recruits to the Army.”