Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment the Royal Navy has made of the potential merits of adopting elements of the Royal Air Force’s medical discharge policy in relation to autism and Asperger’s.

The Royal Air Force (RAF) does not have a specific discharge policy for either autism or Asperger's.

There are no differences in the Royal Navy and RAF policies for the occupational assessment of Service Personnel (SP) with autism or Asperger's. They are the same as for SP with any significant underlying condition that raises concerns for their continued fitness for Service. Such personnel are assessed on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the effect of their condition on their employability, deployability, and overall function within their trade, branch, and Service as a whole.

Where assessment raises significant concerns, an individual will be referred to a Royal Navy Medical Board of Survey (RNMBOS) or Royal Air Force Medical Board (RAFMB). If the adverse effect on their function is too great for their retention to be practicable, the RNMBOS or RAFMB will recommend their medical discharge.