§ Mr. BoatengTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his Department's policy on sexual harassment at work; whether guidance on reporting complaints has been issued to all staff; how many complaints have been reported in the past five years; and what disciplinary action has been taken.
§ Mr. RyderThe Civil Service policy on sexual harassment is set out in the programme for action to achieve equal opportunities for women in the Civil Service, which was published by the Cabinet Office (management486W and personnel office) in 1984. Sexual harassment at work is not tolerated and is dealt with, if appropriate, as a disciplinary matter through the usual Civil Service complaints procedure. Specific guidance on reporting alleged sexual harassment is included in "Women in the Treasury: a Guide to Personnel Management policies", which has been issued to all Treasury staff. Existing guidance in Her Majesty' Treasury on sexual harassment is being reviewed with a view to incorporating it in a new booklet on equal opportunity policies. There have been five complaints reported in the past five to six years: in the three proven cases, formal written warnings were issued.