Armed Conflict: Children
Defence
Written answers and statements, 13 October 2009
Linda Riordan (Halifax, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to review the operation of the interpretative declaration on article 1 of the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict for the purposes of (a) taking steps to ensure that children are not exposed to the risk of taking direct part in hostilities and (b) monitoring Government compliance with the spirit of the Optional Protocol.
Bill Rammell (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Ministry of Defence; Harlow, Labour)
There are no plans to review the operation of the interpretative declaration on article 1 of the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict. Government policy is that Service Personnel under the age of 18 are not routinely deployed on operations outside the UK. The exception to this is where the operation does not involve personnel becoming engaged in or exposed to hostilities, such as disaster relief.
The MOD believes that its policies on under 18s are robust and compliant with national and international law. We remain fully committed to meeting our obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict.