Defence minister clarifies reports about RAF's recruitment approach
Armed Forces Minister James Heappey has clarified recent reports about the RAF's approach to recruitment.
Earlier in the week, there were reports alleging that there had been a pause in job offers to white men in a bid to meet diversity targets set by the RAF.
Mr Heappey has strongly denied these allegations, telling Sky News "what is definitely not true is that recruitment of white men has in any way been paused".
He added: "It is definitely not true that women and ethnic minorities are being loaded onto courses now, whilst white men are not."
Air Vice-Marshal Maria Byford, head of recruitment in the RAF, said she was "unashamed" of a policy that could see ethnic minorities and women prioritised for roles over white men.
In an article in The Times, the Air Vice-Marshal said she had "slowed" down the recruitment process for all candidates after figures showed the RAF was not meeting its targets on diversity.
Defence Minister Heappey has clarified that if there is evidence of positive discrimination the MOD will act.
"No minister in the MOD and no chief of any service gets to break the law," he said.
"If there is evidence of positive discrimination, the people responsible for that will be held vigorously to account."
In a statement on Twitter on Tuesday via the MOD, the RAF has said that "operational effectiveness is of paramount importance and no-one is lowering the standards to join the Royal Air Force.
"The RAF recruits for many professions and like the rest of the Armed Forces is determined to be a force that reflects the society it serves to protect," the tweet went on.
AVM Byford said the air force had an "ambition" to have women making up 40% of new recruits by 2030 and ethnic minorities accounting for 20%.
In March last year, the RAF reported that it had met diversity recruitment targets.
Its Government-set targets then were an intake of 10% ethnic minorities and 15% women and it was the first time the RAF had reached this level of diversity in its recruitment.
AVM Byford said the RAF was "just shy" of meeting its targets for this year of 25% of women and 12% of ethnic minorities – currently at 20% and 7 to 8% respectively.
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