Parliamentary Questions - Written Replies

PREGNANCY COSTS: Nearly pounds 30m in compensation has so far been paid to 2,822 women forced to leave the armed forces when they became pregnant between 1978 and 1990, Armed Forces Minister Nicholas Soames said in a Commons written reply last night. It has been estimated that the total could reach pounds 100m as there are still some 2,000 cases in the pipeline.

Mr Soames said the average paid out to officers who took their cases to industrial tribunals was pounds 43,665 and to other ranks pounds 25,577. But others who settled without recourse to tribunals had an average payout of about pounds 10,000.

TODAY'S BUSINESS - Commons: Environment questions; Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill, Lords amendments. Lords: Local Government (Scotland) Bill.