To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will take steps to eliminate discrimination in recruitment, training, promotion and other practices in the Royal Bermuda Regiment; and if she will make a statement. (115119)

The Bermuda Regiment is established under the Bermuda Defence Act and is therefore governed by local Bermuda legislation. Any amendment would have to be at the request of the Government of Bermuda.

Recruitment, training and promotion in the Bermuda Regiment are managed fairly, according to the law and regulations in force in Bermuda.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many women in the Royal Bermuda Regiment have (a) received training in the UK, (b) been seconded to UK military units outside of Bermuda and (c) been deployed overseas (i) in each of the last five years and (ii) since the report was submitted in November 2005 by Colonel Baxter of the British defence staff into fitness for role inspection of the Royal Bermuda Regiment. (115120)

Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have contacted the Bermuda Regiment and received the following information: one female soldier has been to the UK for training; one female soldier has been seconded to a UK military unit; and one female volunteer was deployed to the Cayman Islands in 2004 but no others have been deployed since November 2005.