HC Deb 13 July 1999 vol 335 cc93-4W
Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Army committed to operations in Northern Ireland were under 18 years of age on 23 June; and in which units. [89041]

Mr. Doug Henderson

[holding answer 30 June 1999]: A total of 28 UK Trained Army Personnel under the age of 18 years were serving in Northern Ireland as at 1 June 1999, the latest date for which information is held centrally. A breakdown by individual regiments is shown in the table.

Regiment/Unit Number
Guards 5
Scots Guards 2
1 Black Watch 2
Royal Regiment Fusiliers 1
Royal Anglian Regiment 3
Green Howards 1
Royal Irish (General Service) 7
Queen's Lancastrian Regiment 3
Royal Welch Fusiliers 1
Light Infantry 2
Royal Logistics Corps 1
Total 28

Age is taken into account in selecting the types of duty in which under 18s can be employed. The Army does not, as a general rule, currently deploy those under 17¼ who are usually involved in initial training. The minimum ages currently applied for deployment on active service in Northern Ireland are 18 years for an Emergency Tour, and 17½ for Resident Units where they are confined to duties within the Barracks only.