Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how often the medical criteria used for recruitment into the Armed Forces is reviewed.

The Medical Employment Standards Working Group (MESWG) is a body composed of specialist occupational physicians from all three Services which meets at least six times a year, keeping military medical standards for recruits under regular periodic review.

Recent medical policy changes, for example, include relaxing the dental criteria for recruitment and the policy on Asperger’s, allowing a minimal degree of relaxation for those candidates who do not display classic symptoms of the syndrome or where their diagnosis may be in doubt.