Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the allegations of sexism, misogyny and sexual assault in the Ministry of Defence, in a recent letter sent in October which included testimonies from 60 female civil servants at the Ministry of Defence.

We already have strong insight into unacceptable behaviours and their impact within the Armed Forces from the Parliamentary Inquiry led by Sarah Atherton MP in 2021, together with the Wigston Review in 2019, and the review led by former non-executive Director Danuta Gray. Our responses to the House of Commons Defence Committee’s Women in the Armed Forces Inquiry in particular set out the significant work that has been carried out to implement their recommendations and build continuous improvement into our approach to policy, culture and behaviours. However, we recognise there is more to do, particularly for our civilian women. We are taking forward a detailed action plan to build on our current work, amplifying the voices of our women and further embedding the change they rightly demand of us.

The action plan includes support from two Non-Executive Directors, and senior colleagues from other Government Departments. It will also draw on wider national security cultural inquiry work and the experience of partner organisations, for example considering their approach to independent ethics counsellors, as a source of external advice and support. The Department has no current plans to commission an independent investigation.