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Teacher Vacancies
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will identify the local education authorities whose information on teacher vacancies had not been validated when the statistical first release was issued. [58041]
Mr. Timms: As in past years, the Government have no plans to publish the names of local education authorities whose information on teachers in service and teacher vacancies had not been validated when Statistical First Release 05/2002 was issued on 24 April. Statistical first releases are published on the basis that their contents should be considered to be provisional in their entirety.
Fully validated data will be published in the Teachers in England statistical volume in December 2002.
Parliamentary Advisers
Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the (a) names and (b) responsibilities are of parliamentary advisers appointed to serve her Department. [56989]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Ministers in this Department have made no such appointments.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Parliamentary Advisers
Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the (a) names and (b) responsibilities are of parliamentary advisers appointed to serve his Department. [56990]
Mr. Straw: Ministers in this Department have made no such appointments.
José Bustani
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the United States Government about their stance on the position of José Bustani in the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. [58047]
22 May 2002 : Column 362W
Mr. Bradshaw: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary spoke with the United States Secretary of State about the matter in a telephone conversation on 1 March 2002.
WALES
Parliamentary Advisers
Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the (a) names and (b) the responsibilities are of parliamentary advisers appointed to serve his Department. [56897]
Mr. Paul Murphy: Ministers in this Department have made no such appointments.
DEFENCE
Overseas Military Personnel
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what training courses run by his Department have been attended by overseas military personnel from (a) China and (b) Zimbabwe since May 1997. [57917]
Mr. Ingram: During the period 1 May 1997 to 20 May 2002, 63 Chinese and 25 Zimbabwean military personnel have attended training courses at United Kingdom military establishments. A full breakdown of the courses attended and numbers trained by country is as follows.
| Year (FY)(2) | China(3) | Zimbabwe(3) |
|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 1 | 13 |
| 1998–99 | 1 | 7 |
| 1999–2000 | 4 | 4 |
| 2000–01 | 11 | 1 |
| 2001–02 | 27 | 0 |
| 2002 | 19 | 0 |
| Total | 63 | 25 |
(2) Financial year
(3) Military students
Note:
Numbers include Royal College of Defence Studies and Defence Diplomacy Scholarship Schemes.
(4) 1 May 1997 to 20 May 2002
22 May 2002 : Column 363W
Armed Forces (Women)
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will publish the outcome of the study into the employment of women in the armed forces; and if he will make a statement. [59012]
Mr. Hoon: Women play a vital role in the armed forces. They have made, and continue to make, a valuable contribution to recent and current operations. The great majority of posts in the armed forces are already open to them. Only posts in the Royal Marines General Service, Household Cavalry, Royal Armoured Corps, the Infantry and Royal Air Force Regiment remain closed for reasons of combat effectiveness.
Following a detailed study into the performance and suitability of women in these close-combat roles, I have concluded that the case for lifting the current restrictions has not been made. I am today placing in the House of Commons Library the report of this study, entitled "Women in the Armed Forces", together with a short paper explaining the reasons for the decision.
Although women are, on average, less able to meet the physical demands of these roles, some women would certainly be able to do so and this was not, therefore, in itself, a reason to exclude them.
The key issue was whether the inclusion of women in close combat teams could adversely affect the combat effectiveness of those teams in a high-intensity direct fire battle. All the units in question operate primarily in small units as fire teams or tank crews.
The evidence available suggests that on operations other than close combat the presence of women in small units does not affect performance detrimentally. However, there is no evidence to show whether this remains the case under the extraordinary conditions of high intensity close combat.
22 May 2002 : Column 364W
Given the lack of relevant direct evidence, from either field studies or the experience of other countries, I have concluded that military judgment must form the basis of the decision. The military advice is that under the conditions of a high-intensity, close-quarter battle, group cohesion becomes of much greater significance to team performance and, in such an environment, the consequences of failure can have far-reaching and grave consequences. To admit women, therefore, would involve a risk without any offsetting gains in terms of combat effectiveness.
The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 allows the armed forces to exclude women from close combat posts. The judgment of the European Court of Justice in Sirdar v. the Army Board and the Secretary of State and relevant European Community equality law uphold that position, subject to a requirement periodically to assess the position.
The Ministry of Defence is committed to equality of opportunity consistent with the need to maintain combat effectiveness. It will continue to work with the Equal Opportunities Commission and discuss with it the results of further work to examine the wider issues raised by this study. Women must have the same opportunities as men to progress to the highest ranks.
Nuclear Weapons
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on the United Kingdom's (a) possession and (b) use of nuclear weapons and the basis for this policy. [57991]
Mr. Hoon: I refer my hon. Friend to Chapter 4 and Supporting Essay Five of the Strategic Defence Review, and also to the answer I gave him on 10 April 2002, Official Report, column 30W.
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the contribution of nuclear weapons to the security of the United Kingdom. [57982]
Mr. Hoon: I refer my hon. Friend to Chapter 4 and Supporting Essay Five of the Strategic Defence Review.
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