Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to tackle (a) bullying and (b) discrimination within his Department.

The Ministry of Justice has a zero tolerance policy for bullying and any complaints are investigated and acted upon.

The Ministry of Justice has clear policies on conduct and behaviour which is set out in the Department’s Conduct Policy and puts in place training for all civil servants on bullying and harassment and regularly reviews its policies on the matter.

Where a Civil Servant or employee of an Arm’s-Length Body has a concern, they may raise this using normal departmental procedures. Civil Service guidance on raising a grievance, and a concern can be found at Raise a grievance at work: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and Whistleblowing for employees: What is a whistleblower - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).