§ Sir Keith SpeedTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what briefing and instructions are given to service men who may be captured or taken hostage about their response to their captors and the media. [29338]
§ Mr. SoamesIn the event of capture by an enemy, service personnel are instructed to follow article 17 of the Geneva convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War 1949 and reveal their name, rank, serial number and date of birth to their captors. They are also trained to respond to further questioning without releasing any useful information or allowing themselves to be exploited for propaganda purposes. Queen's regulations forbid service personnel from responding to approaches from the media without authorisation.