§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Answer given by Earl Howe on 19th March (WA98), why the Ministry of Defence have chosen to assess the attitude of members of the Armed Forces towards the recruitment of homosexuals but not of members of ethnic minorities.
Earl HoweA survey into the attitude of members of the Armed Forces towards homosexuality was conducted as part of the department's recent homosexuality policy assessment, recommended by the High Court following the unsuccessful challenge made last year to the legality of the policy by four former Service personnel. The Armed Forces are, with certain qualifications where nationality and residence rules are concerned, Equal Opportunities Employers under the Race Relations Act 1976; we therefore see no requirement to conduct a similar assessment of the attitude of Service personnel towards the recruitment of ethnic minorities.