§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his reply of 27 October, whether information about bullying, which has either been suffered personally or has been witnessed, is treated by Army authorities as information that has not been learned in the course of official duties; and whether young recruits, who voluntarily leave the Army within six months, are free to talk publicly about this aspect of their Army experience.
§ Mr. FreemanThose who believe they have been bullied are encouraged to make the facts known so that the incidents may be properly investigated. Ideally this should be done through the chain of command, but where circumstances appear to preclude this, it may be done by different means. Where ever sufficient detail is given, by whatever channel, a complaint will be fully investigated by the military authorities.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his reply of 27 October, if he will place in the Library when he received the proposals for future means of combating bullying which have been requested by December from all Army commanders by the Adjutant General.
§ Mr. FreemanThe responses of Army commanders to the Adjutant General's request will need to be the subject of internal consideration and decision. I do not believe it would be appropriate to place such information, the results of an internal exercise, in the Library in the form suggested. However, when the proposals have been fully considered I shall write to the right hon. Member about the outcome.