Asked by: Lord Tebbit (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether it is their policy that Her Majesty's Armed Forces should be comprised of equal numbers of men and women.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The Ministry of Defence is dedicated to achieving a more diverse and representative workforce. Consequently, we have undertaken a wide range of activities to increase representation across British society, including those that have historically been under-represented. As part of this drive, we are working towards a target of 15% of recruits into the Armed Forces being female by 2020. The target is stretching and reflects the importance Defence places on having diverse Armed Forces with all the benefits this brings.
Asked by: Lord Tebbit (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any part of the costs of aid given in connetion with the recent hurricanes and storms in the Caribbean and South-Western United States has come from the budget of the Ministry of Defence.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
I refer my noble Friend, the noble Lord Tebbit, to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Armed Forces (Mark Lancaster), in the House of Commons on 28 November 2017 to Question number 115053.
Asked by: Lord Tebbit (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 10 June (HL211), whether war pensions have been mentioned in any government statements concerning the level of spending on defence, other than their statement on defence spending submissions to NATO between 2011 and 2014.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The information is not held centrally and to check all statements and publications could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost. Expenditure on war pensions has been included in the Ministry of Defence (MOD)'s Annual Report and Accounts as part of the MOD's operating costs since 2001.