First, I can say to all contributors that, wherever one comes from in relation to this debate, this was a cracking debate. It was really interesting, with genuinely thought-provoking contributions from all round the Committee. I thank contributors for that.
The subjects under discussion are, essentially, fairly simple to understand. To look at these two relatively small amendments is perhaps misleading, because they are the genesis of the content that is the trigger for the debate. Essentially, we have amendments tabled in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Massey of Darwen,
with Amendment 61 supported by the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of St Albans, the noble Baroness, Lady Lister of Burtersett, and the noble Lord, Lord Russell of Liverpool. Amendment 62 is once more supported by the noble Baroness, Lady Lister of Burtersett, and the noble Lord, Lord Russell of Liverpool.
These amendments seek to raise the age of recruitment to the Armed Forces to 18 and to ensure that those recruited while under the age of 18 serve the same period of time as those who enlisted at the age of 18. To be honest, what I have detected is a fundamental philosophical divergence: the proposers and supporters of Amendment 61 think that such recruitment is bad; the Government take a different view. I will try to address the concerns articulated by your Lordships in the course of the debate.
I want to be clear about one thing: we comply with the law. We are not in breach of the law in doing what we do. We remain clear that junior entry offers a range of benefits to the individual, the Armed Forces and society, providing a highly valuable vocational training opportunity for those wishing to follow a career in the Armed Forces. I am very grateful to my noble friend Lord Lancaster, who spoke eloquently and authoritatively from a very personal standpoint as to the merit he sees in this system. That opinion should weigh with us.
What I am very happy to do—if others want to respond to this, I am more than happy to support that—is facilitate a visit to the Army Foundation College at Harrogate. I offer to join that visit myself. I, too, have not visited that college, but I would be very happy to do so. I can reassure the noble Baroness, Lady Smith, who specifically asked whether I would be prepared to do that. I hope that, following the impressive marketing strategy from the noble Lord, Lord Coaker, relating to the foundation college, there will be a good take-up of this invitation. I will take that away, engage with those who might be interested in attending and see whether we can get a visit to Yorkshire sorted out.
A number of noble Lords quite rightly raised our duty of care in Defence. We take our duty of care for entrants under 18 extremely seriously. Close attention has understandably been given to this subject in recent years, especially after the tragic deaths at Deepcut. We have robust, effective and independently verified safeguards in place to ensure that under-18s are cared for properly.
I will give a little more detail on that. Mental health and well-being are a priority across Defence and all training establishments. We are clear that the duty of care to all our recruits, in particular those aged under 18, is of the utmost importance, and that those aged under 18 should be treated with special consideration. The 2020-21 Ofsted report, Welfare and Duty of Care in Armed Forces Initial Training, noted the well-co-ordinated care and welfare arrangements for regular and reserve recruits and trainees. At the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, Ofsted was particularly impressed by the strong ethos of emotional and psychological safety, as well as the high standards of all facilities and accommodation. The AFCH has dedicated safeguarding, mental health and well-being leads to support students while they are at the college.
As others have indicated, the provision of education and training for 16 year-old school leavers provides a route into the Armed Forces that complies with the law and government education policy while providing a significant foundation for emotional, physical and educational development throughout an individual’s career. I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Smith. She made a very balanced contribution and acknowledged her acceptance of these virtues.
As others have said, there is no compulsory recruitment into the Armed Forces. Our recruiting policy is absolutely clear. No one under the age of 18 can join the Armed Forces without formal parental consent, and that is checked twice during the application process. The noble Lord, Lord Russell of Liverpool, adduced an example and thought it would be extremely undesirable if the individual whom he envisaged were to go into the Armed Forces but, presumably, in that situation, parental consent would not be given, and one could understand why not. In addition, parents and guardians are positively encouraged to be engaged with the recruiting staff during the process. As has been acknowledged, service personnel under the age of 18 are not deployed on hostile operations outside the UK, or on operations where they may be exposed to hostilities.
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The noble Baroness, Lady Massey, is concerned that those who join the Armed Forces before their 18th birthday serve longer than those who join after their 18th birthday. This is a matter not of length of service but of discharge. The “statutory discharge as of right” rules allow all new recruits, regardless of age, to discharge within their first three to six months of service, depending on their service, if they decide that the Armed Forces is not a career for them.
In addition, service personnel have a statutory right to claim discharge up to their 18th birthday, subject to a maximum three-month cooling-off period. Those rights are made clear to all on enlistment. Ultimately, all service personnel under the age of 18 have a statutory right to leave the Armed Forces up until their 18th birthday, without the liability to serve in the reserve, as an adult would. That is in compliance with current law.
The noble Baroness, Lady Massey of Darwen, for whom I have the greatest respect, as she knows, articulated a significant number of challenges, difficulties and, as she perceives them, disadvantages attaching to these arrangements. I argue that the benefits of an Armed Forces career, including for under-18s, are clear. The Armed Forces remain one of the UK’s largest apprenticeship providers, equipping young people with valuable, transferable skills for life. Irrespective of age, all recruits who need it receive education in the key skills of literacy and numeracy and, also irrespective of age, more than 80% of all recruits enrol in an apprenticeship programme, equipping them with the skills they need to succeed. They will continue to build on it throughout their careers, and it will serve them well when they leave.
The Armed Forces offer apprenticeships across a broad range of specialisations, including the engineering disciplines, digital and communication technologies,
construction, catering, HR and administration. Importantly, Ofsted regularly inspects our initial training establishment, as I indicated, and we are very proud of the standards we achieve. Over the last 10 years, Ofsted has documented significant improvements in areas such as education for English and maths, support for care leavers, improvements in reducing injury, improved retention rates, better communication with parents and staff selection, training and development.
Despite this record, we guard against complacency and recognise that there is always more we can do. One example of this is the new inspection framework we have agreed with Ofsted, which more closely aligns with the unique challenges of initial military training. We welcome the independent scrutiny of Ofsted, which is a very important intervention, and the confirmation it provides that we treat our young recruits well.
I turn to some of the specific points raised by contributors. The noble Baroness, Lady Massey, the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of St Albans and the noble Lord, Lord Browne of Ladyton, were concerned about what we do to recruit people who may be unsuited to a career in the Army. All recruits to the Armed Forces undergo selection and testing, including medical, educational and physical tests, which confirm that they are able to undertake training. We recognise that military training is tough, and some recruits realise that they do not meet the increasing demands placed on them as training progresses. That is why additional safeguards in place for under-18s, as well as the rules of discharge as of right, exist.
A number of contributors also raised the issue of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. We remain fully committed to meeting our obligations under that convention and to the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, and have taken steps to bestow special safeguards on young people under the age of 18. Specifically, we ensure that no one under 18 is exposed to hostilities; there is no compulsory recruitment; we have special protection and safeguards; recruitment is genuinely voluntary; there is informed consent; and the youngsters are informed of their duties.
The noble Baroness, Lady Massey, raised the issue of retention for under-18s. I do not have recent retention data, but I shall procure it and shall write to her.
The right reverend Prelate the Bishop of St Albans referred to some research. I think that he was referring to research back in 2003, and I would suggest that much work has taken place since then, not least the Ofsted report to which I referred and from which I quoted.
The noble Baroness, Lady Massey of Darwen, described a very tragic incident. She described a young person who sadly, as I understood it, took his own life. I do not have information on that incident. I obviously deeply regret the behaviour that she described, to which the young man was subjected. As I say, his death is tragic, and I send my sympathies to his family. I would be happy to meet the noble Baroness to obtain further information from her and to consider what further action might be available, if that would be welcome to her.
In conclusion, our Armed Forces provide challenging and constructive education, training and employment opportunities for young people, as well as fulfilling and rewarding careers. I hope that, following the provision of further information, and following those assurances, the noble Baroness will agree to withdraw her amendment.