§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the compensation payments made to pregnant service women dismissed between 1979 and 1990 by rank and the service in which they served. [11329]
§ Mr. SoamesSome 5,000 compensation payments averaging under £11,000 each have been made to service women discharged on pregnancy between 1978 and 1990. My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State will write to the hon. Member with a list of the individual payments which have been made to date, broken down by service, but details of the rank relating to each payment could be provided only at disproportionate cost. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
§ Dr. ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what distinction his Department makes in fitness standard requirements between service women returning to work following a period of maternity leave and female service personnel who have not been pregnant. [11326]
§ Mr. SoamesWomen who return to duty following a period of maternity leave are, in common with other female personnel, normally expected to meet the level of fitness necessary to carry out their duties. However, in accordance with health and safety regulations, special considerations apply to pregnant women, women who have recently given birth, and breast-feeding mothers. It is possible, therefore, that some women returning to duty from maternity leave may be temporarily placed in a reduced medical category which necessitates their employment on restricted duties for a period of time.
§ Dr. ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the fitness requirements and testing applied to service women returning to work following a period of maternity leave; and how many such service women have failed these tests. [11324]
§ Mr. SoamesService women returning to duty following maternity leave undergo a medical examination to confirm that they are fit to return to duty. The ability of a service woman to return to her normal duties will be assessed in the light of the medical examination. If necessary, a woman returning to work after a period of maternity leave will be temporarily placed on restricted duties. No data are available centrally in respect of the number of women who fail to meet the medical standards necessary for them to resume their normal duties.
§ Dr. ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many female service personnel gave up children for adoption in each of the years from 1978 to 1990; and what was his Department's policy towards such personnel during this period. [11327]
§ Mr. SoamesInformation in respect of the numbers of women who gave up children for adoption in each of the years from 1978 to 1990 is not held centrally. During this period, pregnant service women were compulsorily discharged from the armed forces. Some women may have decided to have their child adopted prior to applying to re-enter the armed forces and any application for re-entry would have been treated in the same way as all other applications. Any decision by a serving mother to 139W give up her child for adoption is a private matter for the woman concerned.
§ Dr. ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service women have returned to work following a period of maternity leave in each of the years since maternity leave became available. [11325]
§ Mr. SoamesMy noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State will write to the hon. Member and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.