Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what measures are in place to ensure that the parents or legal guardians of armed forces recruits aged under 18 are fully informed of the nature of enlistment into military service before they grant consent to enlistment.

It is Ministry of Defence policy that all three Services must obtain the written consent of a parent or guardian for candidates under the age of 18 before an application to join the Armed Forces can be processed.

Thereafter, proof of consent is checked at different points during the application process before a young person can enlist. Where a parent or guardian wishes to meet recruiting staff, they are given the opportunity to do so.

Recruiting staff are required to ensure that all candidates under the age of 18 and their parents or guardians have access to a full explanation of the terms and conditions of service during the application process and before entry into the Armed Forces.