HC Deb 05 March 1990 vol 168 cc536-8W
Mr. Boyes

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of his Department's management training courses include sessions on equal opportunities for women; and what proportion of managers at grade six level and above working outside headquarters has received training on equal opportunities for women.

Mr. Neubert

Equal opportunities is featured on seven management training courses covering issues such as recruitment, personnel management, staff appraisal and selection interviewing. To establish what proportion of managers at grade six level and above working outside headquarters have received such training would involve a disproportionate amount of time and effort.

Mr. Boyes

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action he has taken, and what action he intends taking, to implement the recommendations within his area of responsibility of the European Commission's childcare network report "Caring for Children—Services and Policies for Childcare and Equal Opportunities in the United Kingdom".

Mr. Neubert

The report was prepared for the European Commission which has not yet developed any proposals. The Government believe that policy on child care is a matter for member states. The United Kingdom's policy is that it is for families themselves to determine how their children are to be brought up and how parents, who wish to do so, can best combine paid work and family responsibilities. The Government, through the Department of Health and the ministerial group on women's issues, have encouraged the development of a range of high-quality child care options for both parents and employers.

Mr. Boyes

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes have been made in the roles played by women in each of the armed forces in the last 10 years.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

During the last decade the role of women in all three services has expanded considerably. Members of the WRNS, WRAC and WRAF can now be armed, for defensive purposes.

I recently announced the introduction of sea service for members of the WRNS. We have also widened the opportunities for employment of members of the WRAC to include all posts except those which would deploy into forward areas in war, and women are now more closely integrated into the corps and regiments that employ them. In the RAF, women may now serve as aircrew in all capacities except those which have a direct combat role.

Mr. Boyes

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what child care provision his Department provides for pre-school age children of employees; what child-care provision for school holidays or after-school care is provided for employees' children aged five years or over; what plans there are for increasing provision in the next five years; and how these are to be funded.

Mr. Neubert

We are planning to open nurseries for the children of MOD civil servants in central London and at the Royal Aerospace Establishment, Farnborough.

Consideration is being given to running holiday play schemes in other parts of the country and the MOD has participated in the Westminster holiday play scheme.

MOD units outside London are being encouraged to consider provision of suitable child-care for their area and we are currently surveying staff to determine demand for a ring of Civil Service nurseries around London for the children of civil servants who work on the periphery of or commute into London.

Costs will be met by combination of departmental subsidy and charges to parents, the levels of which are yet to be determined.

Mr. Boyes

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what duties, in each of the armed forces, women are currently prohibited from carrying out.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

Decisions taken over the last year will lead to a considerable expansion in the types of employment open to women in all three services. However, there will remain a number of areas of employment from which it is at present intended that women will continue to be excluded. The principal exceptions are that women in the Army and the RAF will not be employed in direct combat duties and that women in the Royal Navy will not be employed in the submarine service, in the Royal Marines or as aircrew. We are, however, considering whether it is possible to reduce further the areas of work from which women are excluded.

Mr. Boyes

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what grade is his Department's equal opportunities officer.

Mr. Neubert

Grade 5.

Mr. Boyes

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures he has implemented to ensure that recruitment and promotion policy in his Department does not directly or indirectly discriminate against applicants who were mature students or women returning to work following a career break due to child care.

Mr. Neubert

All applicants to join the Ministry of Defence and all members of staff are treated equally for employment and advancement on the basis of their ability, qualifications and suitability for work. Particular measures taken to promote equality of opportunity include flexible upper age limits for recruitment and promotion, the introduction of five-year career breaks for people with domestic responsibilities, child care provision, use of special leave during school holidays, a trial working from home scheme, reinstatement and flexible working patterns including part-time posts and job-sharing, and women-only management development training courses.

Mr. Boyes

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of civil servants in his Department are women at each of the grades(a) seven, (b) six, (c) five, (d) four, (e) three, (f) two and (g) one.

Mr. Neubert

The figures are as follows

Grade Per cent.
Seven 4.1
Six 1.4
Five 3.5

Grade Per cent.
Four 0.0
Three 1.6
Two 0.0
One 0.0