§ Mr. BoyesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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. NeubertSexual harassment is not tolerated in the Ministry of Defence. Instructions have been issued to line managers and staff setting out the Departments policy and guidelines for dealing with cases of sexual harassment. Complaints are recorded centrally only if they result in a disciplinary penalty. In the past five years there have been 12 such cases and the penalties have ranged from dismissal to reprimands.