§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is Her Majesty's Government's policy in relation to the deployment of under 18 year olds from British armed forces in the international peace force in Kosovo. [87976]
§ Mr. Doug HendersonI refer the hon. Member to the answer 1 gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Wolverhampton, South-West (Ms Jones) on 22 October 1998,Official Report, column 1161, in which I stated that Service personnel would no longer be deployed if under 17 years of age. That policy applies to the operations currently underway in Kosovo.