§ Mr. BarronTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) 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;
(2) whether he will issue instructions for the removal of all offensive pin-ups in all his departmental premises.
§ Mr. WakehamThe Department's policy is that sexual harassment at work is unacceptable, and is a disciplinary matter. The definition of sexual harassment includes the display of sexually offensive material in the office. Reminders about the Department's policy are circulated from time to time, and explain the procedure for complaints. There has been one formal complaint in the last five years, which resulted in a formal warning as to future conduct.