Parents ‘won’t face sanctions’ for teenagers who fail to do national service, says minister

Parents will not face sanctions if their teenager fails to complete a form of compulsory national service, a Tory minister has said.

The policy would see see 18-year-olds forced to either sign up to the military or cyber defence force or undertake community volunteering work.

Rishi Sunak has defended the plans, saying they would “foster a culture of service which is going to be incredibly powerful for making our society more cohesive.”

“This relates to an adult who is 18 years old and it is their responsibility to engage with the programme,” Mel Stride told LBC on Tuesday, 28 May.