HC Deb 15 September 2003 vol 410 c520W
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the deployment of women into front line positions. [129492]

Mr. Ingram

I refer my hon. Friend to the statement made on 22 May 2002,Official Report, column 363W, by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence. Women are not restricted from deployment into front line positions but, for reasons of combat effectiveness, they are excluded from close combat posts. Further information may be found in the report, "Women in the Armed Forces", which may be found on the Ministry of Defence website at: www.mod.uk/ issues/women