It is a fact however, that the RN has not been getting the right quantity of high quality aircrew applicants through the doors. As a result the training holds have reduced hugely. DNR may have been focussing on the big picture, but not watching the individual areas as closely.
Anecdotal evidence (backed up by Pprune) is that very aircrew wannnabes consider the RN in parallel with the light blue option. There is still the view that if it flies it must be RAF, in the same way that if it's green it must be Army, despite the RM and the RAF Regt being under different masters.