Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of removing the prohibition on coeliac disease sufferers serving in the Armed Forces.

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 coeliac disease are currently unable to join the Armed Forces as it is not possible to provide a gluten-free diet throughout a Service career especially when on operations. Coeliac disease is a condition with the potential for significant illness if a gluten free diet is not maintained.

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.