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.

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.