§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his reply of 27 October, how frequently visits are made to regiments by senior visiting officers; what is the primary duty of such officers; what prior publicity is given to these visits; and how frequently complaints of bullying are made to them.
§ Mr. FreemanSenior officers make regular visits to units within their command. The frequency of these visits depends upon the location of the command and their units, and the operational-training requirements at the time. The purpose of these visits is twofold: first, to allow the senior officer to assure himself that the unit is properly trained and organised; and, secondly, to allow the unit, corporately or individually, to air grievances and point out particular problems. Proper notification of such visits is given to all ranks through the publication of unit orders. No records are kept of the frequency of complaints of bullying. Such complaints— on this as on other matters— are dealt with promptly, either at the time of the visit or as soon as possible afterwards.