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Michael Fallon: "I Regret No Female Defence Ministers Following Reshuffle"

Sir Michael Fallon has criticised the lack of female defence ministers, saying it is a "mistake" that all five are male following Theresa May's recent reshuffle.

The Conservative former defence secretary told of his "regret" at the "gap" left by the decision to move Harriett Baldwin from the Ministry of Defence to the Foreign Office.

As he spoke of the need for more women and ethnic minorities in the Armed Forces to reach top ranks, Sir Michael said:

"If we are to attract more people from outside, more people where we are short, then we've got to show them that you can not only have a worthwhile career but that you can get on to the very top.

"And finally, of course, that applies to government itself ... I too regret that after the recent reshuffle, and I'm not going to comment on how successful or not that reshuffle was, but I do regret that after that recent reshuffle there is now no female defence minister."

Sir Michael, speaking as MPs debated the Armed Forces (Flexible Working) Bill at third reading in the Commons, said:

"And as the matter has been raised, the House might wish to know that when the Prime Minister formed her first administration back in June 2016 and she was moving (International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt).

"I made it very clear that we needed to have at least one woman minister on the team and I was delighted that (Ms Baldwin) was appointed as a defence minister."

"Now I congratulate her of course on her promotion to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office but that does leave a gap - and it is a mistake, if I may put it as boldly as that to the Treasury bench, it is a mistake to have five defence ministers and to have them all male.

"If we are to get more women, and in the fullness of time more people from the ethnic minorities to join up, then we have to show that this kind of change is embedded there from the top."

Measures in the bill will give staff the choice to temporarily work part-time or restrict the amount of time they are posted away from their home base and their families.

Defence minister Tobias Ellwood said: "It will help modernise our approach and make us more competitive in the jobs market.

"We believe the bill will help in the long term and improve recruitment and, indeed, retention."

The measures will be available to all regular service personnel, and it is hoped they will prove especially attractive to women and those with caring responsibilities.

Mr Ellwood told MPs they would come into force in 2019 and are expected to be taken up by no more than 1% of service personnel initially.

"We've been clear that this is not about creating a part-time Armed Forces, or indeed saving money," he added.

"The vast majority of our people will remain in full-time regular service."

Shadow Defence Secretary Nia Griffith said:

"If this flexibility encourages more potential recruits to consider a career in the forces, then that is a very good thing because the services benefit from being able to draw from the brightest and the best from all backgrounds and communities.