Minority Groups in the Armed Forces 2025-02-10
2025-02-10
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The Wigston review identified higher levels of harassment and bullying against ethnic minority serving personnel compared to white British counterparts. The Atherton review recently addressed structural challenges faced by women in the military.
In 2019, the Wigston review identified that serving personnel from ethnic minority backgrounds are subject to higher levels of harassment and bullying than their white British counterparts. Given the recent success of the Atherton review, which cast light on the structural challenges faced by women in the armed forces, and given that 16% of the British Army workforce comes from ethnic minority groups, does the ministerial team think it might be time to have an Atherton-style review, independent of the MOD, into the challenges faced by ethnic minority groups to ensure and enhance recruitment, retention and promotional opportunities?
I thank the hon. Member for his useful comments. We have launched our Raising our Standards programme, which will take standards from where they were and raise them. We will make Defence the most inclusive career and, indeed, the most rewarding for any part of society to join. The Defence Committee will hold us to account on some of that.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not directly address the need for an Atherton-style review for ethnic minorities or explicitly confirm or deny such a review's necessity and timing.
We Have Launched Our Raising Our Standards Programme
The Defence Committee Will Hold Us To Account On Some Of That
Response accuracy
Q2
Direct Answer
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Context
There have been recent troubling headlines regarding LGBT personnel in the military.
Recent weeks have seen troubling headlines for LGBT personnel, and we on the Lib Dem Benches believe that everyone is welcome in our armed forces, regardless of their sexual orientation, ethnicity or gender identity. Can the Minister outline what steps have been taken to promote the British values of inclusion, particularly for the LGBT community, among our NATO allies? Will the Minister provide an update on the compensation scheme for LGBT veterans who were impacted by the military’s anti-gay ban?
When we started the Etherton review, a lot of engagement went out across some of our NATO allies to take best practice. Now that we have launched the programme, we are also making sure that people can understand the successes and perhaps some of the improvements as it progresses. As the House will know, the Defence Secretary announced our findings from the Etherton review on 12 December, with a 50% increase in the financial redress system for those affected by the LGBT ban. Things are now heading in the right direction, with more than 500 people starting the application process.
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Assessment & feedback
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Response accuracy