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Israel Defense Forces: British Nationals Abroad

Asked by Ayoub KhanIndependentAttorney GeneralTabled Answered 22 April 2025UIN 44873

The question

To ask the Solicitor General, what information her Department (a) collects and (b) holds on British citizens that have served in the Israel Defence Forces since 2023.

Answered by Lucy Rigby

In relation to part (a) of your question, the Attorney General’s Office does not collect this information.

In relation to part (b) of your question, the Law Officers’ Convention applies. The Convention applies to advice which may or may not have been given by, or requested of, the Law Officers. It can be found at paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May:

“By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code [updated on 6 November 2024]. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.”

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