§ 13. Sir Michael NeubertTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next expects to meet his American counterpart to discuss the recruitment of military personnel. [6352]
§ Mr. SoamesIn his regular meetings with his American counterpart, my right hon. Friend discusses the range of relevant military issues.
§ Sir Michael NeubertWill my hon. Friend take account of American experience on the issue of homosexuality and military personnel and do nothing that would damage the morale and fighting efficiency of our highly motivated and exclusively professional armed forces? Will he assure the House that Ministers will stand firm however heavy the fire from the ranks of the politically correct?
§ Mr. SoamesMy hon. Friend raises an extremely important point. He knows that it remains the Government's view that homosexuality is incompatible with the special conditions of service life. The policy is not the result of a moral judgment, but a practical result of homosexuality's effect on military life and morale factors, as my hon. Friend rightly says. I am happy to give him the reassurance that he seeks.
§ Mr. Tony BanksWhen he discusses recruitment of military personnel with his American counterparts, does the Secretary of State for Defence discuss the way in which defence chiefs and ex-defence chiefs have treated political defence leaders? Would it be acceptable, for example, for someone who is or has been in the United States military to describe the Secretary of State as "a little creep"?
§ Mr. SoamesIt would be as discourteous there as it was here.