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The Royal Air Force has invested £1.75 million in a four-year diversity drive to recruit more people from ethnic minorities, it has been revealed.
An advertising campaign on television, radio and social media has been launched in order to attract a wide spectrum of skills and backgrounds.
It comes months after the air force was shown to have discriminated against white male would-be recruits.
Army chiefs are considering whether to pursue a similar strategy of dedicated funding to target ethnic minority communities to match their “ambition” for diverse recruits.
The RAF spent £370,920 on the diversity initiative in the 2019-20 fiscal year, followed by an additional £154,665 in 2020-21. The investment surged to £921,110 in the 2021-22 fiscal year before receding to £312,964 in 2022-23.
These figures were provided in response to a written parliamentary inquiry by Sir John Hayes, the chairman of the Common Sense Group of Conservative backbench MPs.
Dr Andrew Murrison, a junior minister at the Ministry of Defence, responding on behalf of No 10, said his department was a “modern and inclusive employer with people at its core”.
“The Armed Forces are dedicated to attracting, retaining, and nurturing the finest talent from diverse backgrounds and skill sets, reflecting the society we serve,” he said.
“This includes undertaking a wide range of activities to increase the number of ethnic minority recruits into the Armed Forces, through better understanding and greater engagement with ethnic minority communities, reviewing recruitment processes and better targeted marketing and communications towards potential ethnic minority applicants.”
Dr Murrison also said that the Royal Navy’s recruitment approach was inherently inclusive, while the Army, though not currently directing funds towards targeting ethnic minorities, was considering such expenditure for future programmes to align with its objectives for diverse recruitment.
Sir John, a former security minister, said: “Having individuals from various backgrounds within our armed services is commendable. We hold deep gratitude for the diverse members of our services.”
“However, the allocation of disproportionate resources by the RAF raises questions—either it stems from a desperate desire to appear politically correct or it carries a more concerning undertone of prejudice against the disadvantaged white working class. This is either naïveté or disconcerting. Taxpayers and those dedicated to the RAF deserve answers.”
A defence source noted that the provided figure did not encompass the entirety of recruitment spending and highlighted the distinction between recruitment and selection.
In June, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, the new head of the RAF, unequivocally apologised following an unlawful diversity drive that exhibited bias against white men.
Sir Richard admitted that the force’s recruitment process had erroneously “fast-tracked” 161 enlisted aviators, who were either women or from ethnic minority backgrounds, into initial training before other candidates between 2020 and 2021.
He acknowledged that the RAF conceded “some men experienced discrimination” as a result, citing a group of 31 individuals who likely missed the chance to qualify for a £5,000 joining bonus.
In a leaked email from 2021, a squadron leader directed personnel to cease selecting “ineffective white male pilots” for training courses and emphasised the need for “more BAME and female” representation.
An RAF spokesperson remarked, “The RAF remains committed to enhancing diversity and has rigorously reviewed its recruitment practices while continually monitoring these processes.”