19/12/2014

Ban On Woman In Close Combat Could Be Lifted

A ban on a woman serving in close combat could be lifted by 2016 following an Army review that concluded it would "not have an adverse effect on troop cohesion".

The Ministry of Defence review found that army roles should be "determine by ability and not gender", but added that further research on the "physiological demands" was needed.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said that he hoped to introduce "subject to some final research over the next year or so."

(MH/CD)

Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

01 September 2011
Armed Forces 'Shrinkage By Stealth' – Labour
Labour has hit out at Thursday's announcement that 17,000 military jobs will go by 2015. The first tranche of job losses will affect 930 RAF and 920 Army personnel, while Gurkhas make up most of those in the army who will be told that they have been selected for compulsory redundancy.
02 March 2007
Union anger at health sector pay rises
Unions have reacted angrily to the government's announcement that pay for nurses and other healthcare professions has been pegged below inflation. Nurses and other health care professionals will get 2.5%, 1.5% in April and 1% in November. General dental practitioners will get 2% but there is nothing on offer for general medical practitioners.
05 September 2003
‘Urgent review’ of UK troops for Iraq underway
An urgent review of British troop numbers in Iraq is being carried out as the UK considers sending more troops in, as attacks on coalition forces continue. This morning, Conservative Shadow defence secretary Bernard Jenkin said Britain would have to “bite the bullet” even though resources were overstretched following the campaign in Iraq.
23 March 2006
Ingram announces TA changes
The government has announced a number of changes to the make-up of the Territorial Army. The changes will include the introduction of over 1,600 more engineers, 400 more Royal Armoured Corps and 400 more Army Air Corps and more Intelligence Corps.
09 March 2015
Further Cuts Expected In Defence Spending - RUSI
Further reductions could be made in defence spending and personnel numbers in the Strategic Defence and Security Review, the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) has warned. The review is due to start after the next general election. The briefing, by RUSI Research Director Professor Malcolm Chalmers, projects that the UK will spend 1.