Select committee: Defence Committee
Fourth Special Report - Protecting those who protect us: Women in the Armed Forces from Recruitment to Civilian Life: Government Response to the Committee’s Second Report
Published 2 December 2021
At a glance
The government's response
This document responds to Second Report - Protecting those who protect us: Women in the Armed Forces from Recruitment to Civilian Life.
This is the government's response, published 2 December 2021.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government accepts or partially accepts most of the Committee's recommendations, sets a Level of Ambition of 30% female inflow by 2030, and declines to implement a small number, including Attorney General consent for UK sexual offences in the Service Justice System.
- On recruitment, it states that it will "aim to more than double our inflow of women into the Armed Forces", setting a Level of Ambition of 30% inflow by 2030.
- On health, uniform and equipment, it commits to two six-month sprints: one to accelerate work on new Women's Health Policies, and one, led by the Chiefs of Staff, on uniform and equipment issues.
- On the Service Complaints System, it has not created a central team to handle the most serious bullying, harassment or discrimination complaints, saying the D&I Directorate addresses "11 out of the 12 sub-recommendations". It will also move complaints of a sexual nature outside the direct Chain of Command.
- On sexual offences jurisdiction, it "does not agree that it is necessary" for the Attorney General to consent to such offences being handled in the Service Justice System, and does not intend to reduce the appeal period for all Service Persons to two weeks.
What the committee recommended
This is a government response document, so it has no recommendations of its own.