Responding to the Government statement on conduct towards women following allegations of bullying, harassment and sexual assault in the Submarine Service, James Sunderland urges the Minister to maintain a sense of pragmatism and proportionality with the forthcoming inquiry, noting this is likely to be reflective of individual poor behaviour rather than an endemic problem.
James Sunderland (Bracknell) (Con)
I, too, welcome the Minister to his place. As the Chair of the recent Select Committee on the Armed Forces Bill, a regular officer for 26 years and now a senior veteran, I can tell the House with some authority that our armed forces are full of brilliant people at all ranks and levels. In the interest of balance, and noting how far the MOD has come in recent decades in dealing with such sordid behaviour, I urge the Minister to maintain a sense of pragmatism and proportionality. Rather than saying that the forces have an endemic problem, I think this is indicative of individual poor behaviour and the inquiry must look accordingly.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Dr Andrew Murrison)
I think I touched on that subject when I referred to the Select Committee’s report and the positive comments it made about the experience of most women in our armed forces. We must not put people off joining our armed forces unduly, but equally we must take these allegations very seriously.
