Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether all armed forces personnel are made aware of the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict during their training.

This Convention and Protocol are amongst the body of International Law which underpins operational legal training and pre-deployment training. Such training is provided as necessary to Service personnel.

Additionally; Personnel are made aware of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict through a Joint Publication, namely (JDP) 1-05. This publication sets out the Ministry of Defence’s policy with regard to the deployment on operations of U18s in the Armed Forces.