WOMEN
125. The White Paper tell us
Women now have more opportunities
in the Armed Forces than ever before. For example, the number
of posts open to women in the Army has risen from 47 per cent
to 70 per cent and some 1,300 posts in Army and Navy specialist
units attached to the Royal Marines are now open to women. In
1997/98, women made up some 14 per cent of all recruits to the
Forces; the highest figure for three years.[294]
The MoD provided us with a detailed breakdown of
women personnel by rank in each of the three Services and for
the Services overall which shows an increase in the number of
women officers and other ranks in all three Services from April
1998 to April 1999.[295]
This can be summarised as follows:
Figure 10: Number of women in the Armed Forces
|
| As at 1 April 1998
| As at 1 April 1999
|
|
Officers
| Other Ranks
| Total
| Officers
| Other Ranks
| Total
|
Naval Service |
453 | 2,809
| 3,262 |
467 | 2,868
| 3,335 |
Army | 1,172
| 6,260 |
7,432 | 1,187
| 6,461 |
7,648 |
RAF | 939
| 4,067 |
5,006 | 1,003
| 4,161 |
5,164 |
All Services |
2,564 | 13,136
| 15,700
| 2,657 |
13,490 |
16,147 |
Source: MoD memorandum, Ev p 159-160
Numbers of women in all three Services have increased
whilst total Force numbers have declined. The percentage of women
serving in the Armed Forces has risen as follows:
Figure 11: Women in the Armed Forces as percentage of total UK regular forces
|
| 1994
| 1995
| 1996
| 1997
| 1998
| 1999
|
Officers | 7.3
| 7.3 |
7.3 | 7.3
| 7.9 |
8.2 |
Other ranks |
6.9 | 7.1
| 7.0 |
7.0 | 7.4
| 7.6 |
Source: UK Defence Statistics 1999, Table 2.19
126. In the SDR, the MoD announced that "work
is under way to establish a system of monitoring gender related
issues including recruiting and maternity related aspects".[296]
We understand that no specific system of monitoring has yet been
implemented although recruiting data records information about
gender, and standard statistical reports and analysis can also
record information in this way. The information the MoD has provided
on the representation of women in the Armed Forces[297]
provides a useful snapshot. It is equally important to ensure
that the career progress of Service women compares well with their
male counterparts. The Minister told us that there were increasing
numbers of women at NCO, officer and command levels[298]
and Air Marshal Bagnall told us that in respect of the RAF, women
"feel that they have genuinely equal opportunities today".[299]
Its achievements in recruiting women to all areas of the Armed
Forces is one of the MoD's success stories and we hope to see
evidence of its continued success in future.
HOMOSEXUALITY
127. The Secretary of State announced the outcome
of the review on the policy on homosexuals in the Armed Forces
in a Statement to the House on 12 January.[300]
The review arose from the ruling of the European Court of Human
Rights in September. As the existing policy was judged to be not
legally sustainable, a new Code of Conduct has been introduced
to regulate the personal behaviour of those serving in the Armed
Forces. The Secretary of State told the House that with the introduction
of the Code "there is no longer a reason to deny homosexuals
the opportunity of a career in the Armed Forces .... with effect
from today, homosexuality will no longer be a bar to service in
Britain's Armed Forces."
128. The Code says that 'it is not practicable to
list every type of conduct which might constitute social misbehaviour'.
It will therefore rely on Commanding Officers when assessing personal
behaviour applying the test: 'Have the actions or behaviour of
an individual adversely impacted or are they likely to impact
on the efficiency or operational effectiveness of the Service?'
We were concerned that Commanding Officers should be adequately
supported by their superiors when making decisions in these sensitive
areas, and questioned the Minister for the Armed Forces about
this. He told us that any problems in this area would be dealt
with "within the normal procedure of redress of grievance."[301]
It remains to be seen how this significant change, which the
Armed Forces have been forced to make, will affect them in practice.
It is one thing to change policy. It is quite another to change
entrenched views amongst those serving in the Armed Forces, and
yet another to assess the implications for operational performance
of this policy. This issue needs careful handling at all levels
and we will be following developments in the next few years with
interest.
251 Q 607 Back
252
Q 613 Back
253
Q 610; Q 614 Back
254
Ev p 162 Back
255
Ev p 162 Back
256
Q 622 Back
257
QQ 623-629 Back
258
SDR Supporting Essay 9, para 13 Back
259
SDR Supporting Essay 9 para 10 and para 13 Back
260
QQ 563, 619-622 Back
261
QQ 615-618; Cm 4520, para 24; RUSI Journal article, Turning
the Tide: Addressing Army Personnel Issues, December 1999 Back
262
Q 604 Back
263
Q 605; Q 646 Back
264
Q 605 Back
265
SDR Supporting Essay 9, para 35 Back
266
Letter to the Chairman from the Army Families Federation, 15.7.99 Back
267
Cm 4446, para 73; HC Deb. 24.01.2000, col 54w Back
268
Cm 3999, para 130 Back
269
Cm 4446, para 74 Back
270
Eighth Report, Session 1997-98, op cit, para 369 Back
271
Ev p 160 Back
272
Q 810 Back
273
Q 811 Back
274
First Report, Session 1996-97, Sale of the Married Quarters
Estate, HC 94, para 23 Back
275
HC Deb., 17.1.2000, c 285W Back
276
Q 350 Back
277
Q 638 Back
278
HC Deb., 24.1.2000, c 9 Back
279
Q 636 Back
280
QQ 353-355 Back
281
Q 602 Back
282
First Special Report, Session 1998-99, Annual Report of the
Committee for Session 1997-98, HC 273, para 4 Back
283
See eg Twelfth Report, Session 1994-95, The Reserve Forces,
HC 65, paras 25-26 Back
284
Cm 4446, p 38 Back
285
Q 658 Back
286
Q 660 Back
287
SDR Supporting Essay 9, paras 38-44 Back
288
See eg First Report, Session 1987-88, Ethnic Monitoring in
the Armed Forces, HC 391 Back
289
Cm 4446, p 38 Back
290
Ev p 158 Back
291
Q 658 Back
292
Q 661 Back
293
Q 659-660 Back
294
Cm 4446, p.39 Back
295
Ev pp 159-160 Back
296
SDR Supporting Essay 9, para 40 Back
297
Ev pp 159-160 Back
298
Q669 Back
299
Q670 Back
300
HC Deb. 12.1.2000, cc 287-301 Back
301
Q676 Back