Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what date his Department expects to receive the recommendations of the Chief of the General Staff on whether the British Army should form a Sikh regiment; and what criteria will be used to take a decision on that matter.

The Army is committed to recruiting from all sections of society. It is actively engaged with Black, Asian, Minority and Ethnic Groups, including the Sikh community, as well as other groups which represent the demography of the UK and employs a range of measures to maximise its talent and ensure that it better reflects the society from which it recruits.

Proposals designed to achieve these goals are looked at in detail to establish their feasibility and whether they can be incorporated into its overall engagement strategy. We hope to have this work completed by the summer.

Of course, we are required to comply with current anti-discrimination legislation whereby the Armed Forces must ensure that service is open to all, regardless of race or religion. The only exception to this is service in the Brigade of Ghurkhas, where this is permitted under the Race Relations Act (now subsumed by the Equalities Act).