§ Mr. Paul StinchcombeTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces aged under 18(a) are deployed and (b) are planned to be deployed in the Gulf; and if he will make a statement. [100108]
§ Dr. MoonieThe United Kingdom signed Optional Protocol II to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in September 2000 and on 24 February 2003 an Explanatory Memorandum was laid before the House to enable the Protocol to be ratified. It is accordingly our policy that we will take all feasible measures to ensure that no personnel under the age of 18 play a direct part in hostilities. Our plans for the recent deployment of Armed Forces personnel to the Gulf were drawn up and implemented on that basis. Despite these precautions, regrettably one such individual was deployed; but that has now been remedied. As a result there are no under-18s serving in the Gulf and there are no plans for any under-18s to be deployed there.