Question follow-through · 75486

Army: Commonwealth

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether applicants from outside the UK who hold Commonwealth citizenship and are under the age of 18 at the time of joining are eligible to join the Army.

answeredMinistry of Defence

About this written question

A written question asks a government minister for information in writing. Parliament publishes the question and any answer.

Answering body
Ministry of Defence
Tabled
5 Sept 2025
Target answer date
9 Sept 2025
Answer
15 Sept 2025 · 10 calendar days after tabling

Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.

More questions by this MP on Defence and foreign affairs

Shared topic keywords suggest a connection; they do not establish a follow-up.

Votes on this topic

These Commons divisions share a topic label. The question did not necessarily lead to a vote.

Recorded timeline

  1. 5 Sept 2025

    Question tabled

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether applicants from outside the UK who hold Commonwealth citizenship and are under the age of 18 at the time of joining are eligible to join the Army.

  2. 9 Sept 2025

    Target answer date

    Date supplied by the official written-questions record.

  3. 15 Sept 2025

    Answer published

    Commonwealth citizens, residing outside the UK, must be at least 18 years of age before being eligible to apply to join the Army.

Open official record

Official data retrieved 28 Sept 2026.

Later records

Possible follow-up questions

Strong links require the same MP, department and exact heading. Other same-department questions are shown as unreviewed candidates, not as confirmed follow-ups. No debate link is asserted unless a stable source relationship exists.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Reserve Forces: Databases

10 Oct 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure the accuracy of data on the (a) location, (b) contact details, (c) health and (d) readiness of ex-Regulars held within the strategic reserve.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Reserve Forces

10 Oct 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has conducted a recent audit of the skills and health readiness of ex-Regular personnel who may be called upon during national emergencies.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Reserve Forces

10 Oct 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to standardise the criteria for reservist call-out liability across the Armed Forces services.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Defence

10 Oct 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Defence Readiness Bill on balancing fefence mobilisation requirements with current and future industrial demand for specialist personnel working in

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees

10 Nov 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department plans to respond to the Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committee 2025 report; and if he will meet representatives of regional Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees following that response.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Defence

4 Feb 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to (a) publish for pre-legislative scrutiny and (b) introduce the Defence Readiness Bill in (i) 2026, (ii) 2027, (iii) 2028 and (iv) 2029.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Armed Forces: Legal Opinion

25 Feb 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason the Independent Legal Advocacy support programme pilot will only provide advice to those over 18; and whether a separate legal advocacy support programme will be created for Service Personnel unde

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Veterans: Homelessness

10 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent homelessness for veterans as part of the (a) National Plan to End Homelessness and (b) Inter-Ministerial Group on homelessness, and how Op FORTITUDE interacts w