Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministerial Statement

Women in the Armed Forces

09 December 2021 · 9 other contributors

Opened by Sarah Atherton Con Wrexham

DefenceWomen & Equalities

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Sarah Atherton raised concerns about women in the armed forces in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.

Key points

  • Sarah Atherton announced a Defence Committee report on women's experiences in the armed forces and as veterans.
  • The report found that nearly 90% of servicewomen would recommend a military career.
  • The report also revealed high rates of abuse, including bullying, harassment, discrimination, sexual assault, and rape, affecting 62% of servicewomen.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Government Statement

Sarah Atherton

Thanking Madam Deputy Speaker, Sarah Atherton announced a Defence Committee report on women's experiences in the armed forces and as veterans. She acknowledged key individuals who contributed to the report over 18 months. The report revealed that nearly 90% of servicewomen would recommend a military career but also found high rates (62%) of abuse, including bullying, harassment, discrimination, sexual assault, and rape. Atherton highlighted key recommendations: removing chain of command involvement in complaints about sexual misconduct; increasing complaint process independence; creating a central defence authority for complaints handling; binding service ombudsman decisions; and transferring serious criminal cases to civilian courts. The report also addressed issues like inadequate kit and uniform provision and lack of childcare, recommending wraparound childcare rollout by the end of 2022. MOD has agreed to many recommendations but not all, notably refusing to remove rape from military jurisdiction.

Other contributors (9)
  • Martin Docherty Lab West Dunbartonshire

    Question

    Docherty praised Atherton's work on women in the armed forces. He highlighted the need for cultural change within the officer corps and argued for equity of representation, especially among younger and BAME women.

    Minister reply

    Atherton thanked Docherty for his support and noted that the MOD has introduced initiatives around leadership, including performance assessments to sanction underperforming officers more easily.

  • Tobias Ellwood Con Bournemouth East

    Question

    Paid tribute to the hon. Member for Wrexham for her report on harassment and sexual violence against women in the UK armed forces, noting the significant response from the MOD and recommending moving serious offences out of military courts into civilian ones.

    Minister reply

    Expressed gratitude to Tobias Ellwood for his support.

  • Margaret Ferrier Ind Renfrewshire North

    Question

    Asked whether the Government’s statement about harassment is reflective of reality, and if the RAF can serve as a model for addressing concerns across all forces.

    Minister reply

    Disagreed with the MOD's statement on abuse levels based on survey evidence; suggested that the RAF could be modeled for improvement in other services.

  • Robert Buckland Con South Swindon

    Question

    Noted the importance of enhancing independence and reliability of investigative processes, expressing concern about potential downgrading of the Service Prosecuting Authority's capacity.

    Minister reply

    Acknowledged that many women find the investigation process traumatic; stated that the MOD is making movements to improve accessibility of victim support units.

  • Philip Hollobone Con Kettering

    Question

    Inquired about the adequacy of the Government's response to issues faced by service personnel, especially women, in balancing service life and family responsibilities.

    Minister reply

    Highlighted that while flexible working strategies exist, their accessibility is limited; mentioned the Minister's upcoming family strategy.

  • Carol Monaghan SNP Glasgow North West

    Question

    Expressed concern over a tenfold increase in cases of rape and sexual assault on under-18s, questioning if servicewomen are safe from sexual violence at work and asked about future review of the issue.

    Minister reply

    Acknowledged steps taken by MOD to support young women but expressed disappointment that serious crimes remain within military courts; stated intent to continue reviewing progress.

  • Stephanie Peacock Lab Barnsley South

    Question

    Praised the report and acknowledged positive changes while highlighting issues of harassment, discrimination, assault, and bullying. Criticised the Government for not moving serious crimes to civilian courts based on feedback from Salute Her.

    Minister reply

    Agreed that the issue should be relooked at.

  • Leo Docherty Con Burnley

    Question

    Emphasised the report's importance and assurance of driving institutional change to enable women to thrive in the military.

    Minister reply

    Expressed thanks for support and commitment to continuing work.

Shadow Comment

Martin Docherty

Docherty congratulated Atherton on chairing a significant inquiry into women's experiences in the armed forces. He emphasised the need for cultural change within the officer corps and advocated for equity of representation, particularly among younger and BAME women.

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