Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 2 November to Question 70978 on Armed Forces: Huntington’s Disease, if he will make an assessment of roles within the Armed Forces which are suitable for an applicant who has a family history of Huntington's disease.

All Armed Forces entrants are expected to be able to serve for the full period of their engagement. Consequently, the medical entry standards for the Armed Forces are stringent, with a number of medical conditions currently being considered a bar to Service that would not be an impediment in other careers.

However, each application to join the Armed Forces is considered on a case by case basis and, if 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. This may include individuals with unique specialist skills that outweigh any functional limitations they might have. Again, this would be determined on a case by case basis.