§ Mr. PaiceTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the manpower estimates for Her Majesty's armed forces for the years from 1990 to 1992; and what will be the effect of the recent announcement that more categories will be open to women.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonManpower estimates for the armed forces as at 1 April 1990 were published in the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1989". The manpower estimates for 1 April 1991 will be published in the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1990" in due course. It is not our practice to publish manpower estimates for future years as these are produced for our own management purposes only.
Following recent announcements by the Army and the RAF on the wider employment of women, female recruiting targets have been increased. A recent study offers the prospects of up to 6,000 posts in the Regular Army being made available to women. The RAF's female recruiting targets have been increased by 400 ground air women per annum between 1 April 1989 and 1 April 1994 and by 35 female pilots and navigators per annum from 1989–90.