§ Mr. EtheringtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance is given to senior armed forces personnel regarding investigation of allegations of bullying.
§ Mr. SoamesThe armed forces take a very serious view of bullying and senior armed forces personnel are aware that all allegations of bullying should be referred promptly for formal investigation. Guidance in the form of policy letters has been issued by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy to remind all personnel of the policy on bullying. The Royal Air Force also produced orders specifically covering bullying to be read and signed annually by officers. The Royal Air Force's policy on bullying and initiation ceremonies is also repeated in quarterly standing orders, which all Air Force personnel are required to read. In 1993, the Army published a discipline and standards paper, which included instructions to counter bullying.
§ Mr. EtheringtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions since 1991 no disciplinary action has been taken against soldiers who went absent without leave when on their return it was established that the absence was because of bullying.
§ Mr. SoamesThis information is not recorded centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. EtheringtonTo ask the Secretary to State for Defence what guidance is given to all levels of armed forces personnel regarding procedures for reporting incidents of bullying.
§ Mr. SoamesInformation about making complaints under the redress of complaints procedure provided for in the Service Discipline Acts is given to all new recruits on joining. Advice on making complaints about bullying is also included in the leaflet "The Armed Forces. Your Rights and Responsibilities" given to new recruits_ Details of the redress of complaints procedures are also set out in Queen's regulations, which are available in every ship and service establishment. Advice on making complaints about bullying is also repeated in policy letters and other documents.
§ Mr. EtheringtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many courts martial there have been in each of the last five years; in how many of these the charge was related to some form of bullying; and in how many there was a guilty verdict.
§ Mr. SoamesThe number of courts martial recorded in the last five years is as follows:
- 1990: 1,030
- 1991: 900
- 1992: 887
- 1993: 857
- 1994: 813
Bullying is not an offence under the Services Discipline Acts, but is dealt with under charges such as conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline, ill-treatment of subordinates, common assault and actual bodily harm. To identify the cases relating to bullying among all courts 444W martial records for the last five years would entail disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. EtheringtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress made by his Department in preventing bullying and brutality in the armed forces.
§ Mr. SoamesThe armed forces take a very serious view of bullying. It has been made clear throughout he services that bullying will not be tolerated and various measures have been taken by the services to counter bullying.
§ Mr. EtheringtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many serious individual cases of bullying have been referred to his Department each year since 1990.
§ Mr. SoamesMy Department regards all cases of bullying as serious and service personnel are aware that all complaints of bullying will be vigorously investigated and the perpetrators punished. Details of the seriousness of individual cases are not recorded centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.