§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current minimum age for soldiers of the British Army to be sent into armed combat; and what plans he has to alter this limit. [96260]
§ Mr. SpellarOn 22 October 1998,Official Report, column 1161, my predecessor announced that Service personnel would no longer be deployed on operations if 895W under 17 years of age, although in practice most personnel will be well over 17 prior to their being deployed. Personnel under 18 years of age are not deployed on UN peacekeeping operations, at the request of the UN. Both our recruitment and deployment policies are in line with international standards set by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the recent International Labour Convention 182.