Reply to questionnaire from the Ministry
of Defence
1. What practical measures have you undertaken
to implement the duty in relation to the employees of your Department?
Have you undertaken an equal pay audit or another survey to detect
any barriers to the full participation of women in your workforce?
What have you done to address under-representation of women in
specific grades or types of post?
In June 2006, the Department published its overarching
Equality and Diversity Scheme 2006-09, a copy of which is attached
for information. This sets out our detailed approach to equality
and diversity throughout the Ministry of Defence including the
Armed Forces. As well as those groups covered by statutory duties
(race, disability and gender), the Scheme also covers the groups
that are not the subject of statutory duties (age, religion and
sexual orientation).
On pay, we are aware that some of our civilian
staff have long payscales which may disadvantage women over the
course of their careers. This is now being addressed. An equal
pay audit is currently being carried out and the report will be
available in October 2007. A Strategic Remuneration Review of
the Armed Forces' pay structures is also underway. This will take
into consideration equal pay issues.
The majority of posts in the Armed Forces are
open to women and their contribution to operational effectiveness
is essential. The proportion of posts open to women is: 71% of
posts in the Royal Navy, 67% of posts in the Army and 96% of posts
in the Royal Air Force. Women serve in all specialisations, except
those where the primary role is to close with and kill the enemy.
This is because, following a detailed study, the Secretary of
State announced in the House of Commons on 22 May 2002 that the
case for lifting the restrictions on women serving in close-combat
roles had not been made. In reaching this decision, the Secretary
of State drew upon the advice of the Service Chiefs and a report
entitled "Women in the Armed Forces" (copy attached
for information) which set out the results of a detailed study
into the performance and suitability of women in close-combat
roles. Women therefore continue to be excluded from the Royal
Marines General Service (as Royal Marine Commandos), the Household
Cavalry and Royal Armoured Corps, the Infantry and the Royal Air
Force Regiment. For medical and health reasons, women are also
excluded from service in submarines and working as mine clearance
divers.
The department has a range of other work in
hand on gender equality and related issues, including:
— a review of Equality and Diversity
training, including gender issues, provided to our personnel,
both military and civilian, at various stages of their career.
Its recommendations should be available by April 2008.
— a study to examine the challenge
of recruiting more women to the RAF.
The Department has appointed a civilian Gender
Champion, a Senior Civil Servant who will chair the Diversity
Champions Group in the Department as well as taking forward gender
issues. We are in the process of setting up a forum to co-ordinate
the work of our Women's Networks which have been established across
the Department and this forum will be chaired by our Gender Champion.
2. Have you reviewed the policies and administrative
procedures of your Department for gender bias? What action have
you taken to correct any such bias?
The Department established transparent and auditable
procedures for the Equality and Diversity Impact Assessment (including
Gender Equality Impact Assessment) of its major policies and practices
in June 2006. The new arrangements are still bedding-in but we
believe that, in time, they will enable us to ensure that our
policies and procedures are free of gender bias.
3. Have your procurement policies and practices
been changed to take account of the gender equality duty? How
do they reflect this duty?
A significant proportion of the Department's
commercial business is in the procurement of defence equipment
and in-service support. Such contracts have for some years contained
a standard condition requiring the contractor to comply with the
Race Relations Act 1976. A revised condition, DEFCON 516, was
introduced in June 2004 following negotiations with Defence Industry
Trade Associations to ensure that the Department and its contractors
complied with Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. It is now included
in all contracts placed by the Department. A copy is attached
for information.
A working party has been established to ensure
that the Department meets its new statutory obligations in respect
of gender and disability either by introducing appropriate amendments
to DEFCON 516 or by developing new standard conditions of contract.
4. Generally, are there any differences in
your approach to implementing the gender equality duty from your
approach to implementing the race equality duty?
In developing the Department's Overarching Equality
and Diversity Scheme 2006-09 (see response to Q1 above), we were
concerned that it should not appear that the Department has a
hierarchy of diversity groups bur that we treat all groups as
equally important. However, there are a few statutory exemptions
from relevant legislation, in particular in relation to age and
disability, which are designed to maintain the combat effectiveness
of the Armed Forces.
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