PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
(2 January 2026)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the suitability of the current upper age limits for former members of the Armed Forces seeking to join the Reserve Forces, in the context of the Government's plan to expand reserve forces recruitment.

Asked by:
Lewis Atkinson (Labour)

Alongside delivering the Strategic Defence Review recommendations aimed at re-energising our relationship with, and increasing the strength of our Reserve Forces, we continue to review the policies and legislation which shape the Reserves landscape. This includes the terms and conditions of service for all elements of our Reserve Forces. The age limits for joining the Reserve Forces are, together with all employment polices, regularly reviewed to ensure they meet the demands of the Services and are determined by the branches and trades of each Service.

As well as the Services reviewing their policies, the Ministry of Defence also annually reviews the overarching policies for the Reserve Forces. This is to ensure that we are making the most of the unique skills offered, we attract and retain the personnel needed to deliver Defence outputs and, as much as possible, reflect wider societal norms such as upper age limits which have recently been reviewed across all the Services resulting in retirement ages being raised to align more closely with society.

Answered by:
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