VISITS to schools by the armed forces could face closer scrutiny amid concerns pupils are not given a “balanced picture” about the type of work soldiers do.

Members of Holyrood’s Public Petitions Committee have been investigating the impact of visits by the services after concerns were also raised that visits were disproportionately higher in areas of deprivation.

MSPS want the Ministry of Defence to publish details of visits on an, “ongoing basis.”

In a report on the issue, MSPs called on the Scottish Government to carry out a special child rights and wellbeing assessment in relation to these visits, to make sure the content is “appropriate” and the information provides a “balance of views”.

The organisation ForcesWatch, which scrutinises the recruitment practices of the armed forces, and the Quakers in Scotland, raised concerns in a petition submitted to Holyrood in March 2016.

The MSPs said that while they did not consider targeting of pupils in poorer areas was taking place, these fears could not be addressed “unless credible and consistent data is available for analysis”.

The committee called for information about armed forces visits to schools to be collected and published, calling on the Scottish Government to request the MoD “publish information about armed forces visits to schools in Scotland on an ongoing basis”.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “While it is up to schools and local authorities to determine their involvement with the armed forces as employers, we would expect them to act responsibly and ensure that any participation with any organisation adds value, is appropriate to a child’s age and maturity and does not seek to exert undue or inappropriate influence.”