Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's policy is on members of the armed forces personnel that have reached retirement age but want to extend their service and are fit and capable enough to do so; and if he will make a statement.

The Services' engagement structures are designed to balance the demands of military service (including the physical element), with the retention of skills and need to offer the potential for progression throughout a career.

In all cases the Services have the ability to retain those whose skills they particularly wish to retain, including extension on a case-by-case basis beyond the age at which the individual would normally retire.