THE RECRUITMENT OF MINORS BY THE UK ARMED FORCES

Early day motion 694, tabled 17 November 2016 by Liz Saville-Roberts (Plaid Cymru). Signed by 14 members.

That this House notes the contents of the Medact Report into the effects of the recruitment of minors by the UK armed forces, published in October 2016; further notes the report's findings that child recruits are more vulnerable to post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol abuse, self-harm, suicide, death and injury during an armed forces career when compared to either their demographically-matched civilian peers or adult recruits; notes that the report concludes that the current practices for recruiting minors into the UK armed forces do not meet the criteria for full and informed consent, in part due to the fact that adolescents' cognitive and psychosocial development make them unfairly susceptible to military recruitment marketing; notes that the report's conclusion states that those recruited as children, on turning 18, are more likely than adult recruits to end up in frontline combat roles which carry greater risks than other roles; recalls the repeated condemnation of UK armed forces' recruitment of minors by national child rights experts and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Deepcut Review's recommendation that the minimum enlistment age should be reviewed; notes the growing body of independent research evidencing significant detrimental outcomes for the youngest recruits; and calls on the Government to launch a review of the minimum armed forces enlistment age.

Signatures by party: Labour 3, Plaid Cymru 3, Scottish National Party 3, Social Democratic and Labour Party 2, Green 1, Labour/Co-operative 1, Liberal Democrat 1.