Written statement to Parliament

Announcement of Chair - The Haythornthwaite Review of Armed Forces Incentivisation

The Prime Minister has approved the appointment of Mr Rick Haythornthwaite to chair an independent review of our service personnel’s terms and conditions.

Leo Docherty MP

The Minister for Defence People and Veterans (Leo Docherty MP): I am pleased to announce that the Prime Minister has approved the appointment of Mr Rick Haythornthwaite to chair an independent review of our service personnel’s terms and conditions.

The review, which will be known as the Haythornthwaite Review of Armed Forces Incentivisation, is a commitment published in the Defence Command Paper (March 2021). It aims to modernise financial and non-financial elements of the Offer to service personnel so that these are commensurate with the ways in which the Armed Forces are expected to change and operate in future, as set out in the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy. By modernising both elements of the Offer, the review aims to improve how Defence recruits, incentivises and retains the skills it requires, and to better reflect people’s changing expectations of work and ways of living in the 21st Century. The review is expected to conclude by Spring 2023, when a report will be submitted to the Secretary of State, who will determine the Government’s response in due course.

Rick has established an impressive executive and non-executive career across a diverse range of businesses within the private and third sectors. He has a variety of experience as a Chair and a highly tuned strategic perspective. I look forward to working closely with him on his review.

Published 10 May 2022