HC Deb 19 June 1990 vol 174 c538W
36. Mr. Quentin Davies

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures his Department is taking for the wider employment of women in the armed forces.

59. Mrs. Maureen Hicks

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures his Department is taking for the wider employment of women in the armed forces.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

The Navy is extending the role of the Women's Royal Naval Service to include service at sea in surface ships. The number of posts open to women in the Regular Army is being increased by up to 6,000 and in the Territorial Army by up to 4,000. The RAF has started recruiting women as pilots and navigators and is increasing the number of women in ground trades by 2,000. These developments will offer a wider range of job opportunities to women and we shall continue to explore the possibility of opening further employment areas to them.