Asked by: Susan Murray (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dunbartonshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to accept people with dietary allergies into the armed forces.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Department is assessing current policies and identifying those which obstruct individuals from joining the Armed Forces. It is essential that new entrants to the Armed Forces are medically fit to meet the various challenges of Service life and the roles in which they will be expected to deploy.
Candidates with mild or moderate allergies are currently able to join the Armed Forces providing they meet certain criteria. Candidates with severe symptoms, including anaphylaxis and those who require an adrenaline auto-injector, are currently unable to join the Armed Forces as it is not possible to guarantee avoidance of allergen cross-contamination throughout a Service career, especially when on operations, or rapid access to life-saving treatment.
If an application is rejected on medical grounds, a candidate can appeal the decision with additional medical information. There is also an executive waiver process where the employing Service may, exceptionally, recruit someone who is below the normal entry standards.