Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 15 November 2018 to Question 190539 on Army: Young People, for what were the reasons for under-18s applicants not starting basic training in each of the three years for which information is provided.

The reasons why a number of under 18 applicants do not progress to commence basic training are similar to applicants of all ages. These include the applicant's personal choice, which can be driven by a range of factors such as personal circumstances and alternative employment opportunities, and applicants not meeting the Army's entry criteria, for example medical and educational standards and nationality requirements.