{"value":{"id":1920757,"askingMemberId":4519,"askingMember":null,"house":"Commons","memberHasInterest":false,"dateTabled":"2026-06-26T00:00:00","dateForAnswer":"2026-07-01T00:00:00","uin":"13504","questionText":"To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether there is a formal target for the length of service for reserves personnel in the (a) British Army, (b) Royal Air Force, (c) Royal Navy and (d) Royal Marines.","answeringBodyId":11,"answeringBodyName":"Ministry of Defence","isWithdrawn":false,"isNamedDay":true,"groupedQuestions":[],"answerIsHolding":false,"answerIsCorrection":false,"answeringMemberId":5054,"answeringMember":null,"correctingMemberId":null,"correctingMember":null,"dateAnswered":"2026-07-01T00:00:00","answerText":"<p>Currently there is no formal target for length of service within the Reserves as it is dependent on when an individual joins the services. There are a variety of age cut offs for joining, depending on the service and trade, balancing the time takes to train an individual against how much time they will have to deliver a capability.</p><p> </p><p>Reservists provide a crucial capability to Defence. The standard requirement for a part-time volunteer reservist in the Armed Forces to qualify for the annual tax-free training bounty, is to complete a range of training commitments, depending on the specific unit.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has awarded a 3.6% increase to base pay, reflected in reserve daily rates. Additionally, as part of the award, several elements will also increase by 3.6%, which includes the Volunteer Reserves Training Bounty (from training year 2026/27) and Recruitment and Retention Payments.</p><p> </p><p>People are at the heart of Defence and this Government is committed to our Reserves personnel. We fully recognising their dedication as defence demands grow in the current geopolitical climate.</p><p> </p>","originalAnswerText":"","comparableAnswerText":"","dateAnswerCorrected":null,"dateHoldingAnswer":null,"attachmentCount":0,"heading":"Reserve Forces: Length of Service","attachments":[],"groupedQuestionsDates":[]},"links":[{"rel":"self","href":"/Questions/1920757","method":"GET"}]}