To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions in (a) 2013 and (b)
2014 commanding officers have requested legal advice following allegations of (i)
sexual assault, (ii) exposure, (iii) voyeurism, (iv) sexual activity in a public lavatory
and (v) other forms of sexual misconduct; and if he will make a statement.
<p>The information requested is given below. No allegations of sexual activity in
a public lavatory resulted in a request for legal advice from a Commanding Officer.</p><p>
</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Offence</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2013</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2014</strong></p><p><strong>until
24 October</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sexual Assault</p></td><td><p>65</p></td><td><p>48</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Exposure</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Voyeurism</p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other
Sexual Misconduct</p></td><td><p>61</p></td><td><p>29</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total</p></td><td><p>135</p></td><td><p>81</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many allegations of (a) sexual assault,
(b) exposure, (c) voyeurism, (d) sexual activity in a public lavatory, (e) rape and
(f) other forms of sexual misconduct have been recorded by the Crime Statistics and
Analysis Cell in each month since April 2014 relating to the (i) Army, (ii) Navy,
(iii) RAF and (iv) reservists; and if he will make a statement.
<p>The table shows the number of allegations of rape, sexual assault, exposure, voyeurism,
and other forms of sexual misconduct, recorded by the Service police in each month
since April 2014 up to 24 October 2014, broken down by Service.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Month/Service</p></td><td><p>April 2014</p></td><td><p>May
2014</p></td><td><p>June 2014</p></td><td><p>July 2014</p></td><td><p>August 2014</p></td><td><p>September
2014</p></td><td><p>October 2014</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="8"><p><strong>Number
Of Rape Allegations</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>British Army</p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Royal
Navy</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Royal
Air Force</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td
colspan="8"><p><strong>Number Of Sexual Assault (By Penetration) Allegations</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Month/Service</p></td><td><p>April
2014</p></td><td><p>May 2014</p></td><td><p>June 2014</p></td><td><p>July 2014</p></td><td><p>August
2014</p></td><td><p>September 2014</p></td><td><p>October 2014</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>British
Army</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td
colspan="8"><p><strong>Number Of Sexual Assault (No Penetration) Allegations</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Month/Service</p></td><td><p>April
2014</p></td><td><p>May 2014</p></td><td><p>June 2014</p></td><td><p>July 2014</p></td><td><p>August
2014</p></td><td><p>September 2014</p></td><td><p>October 2014</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>British
Army</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Royal
Navy</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Royal
Air Force</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td
colspan="8"><p><strong>Number of Exposure Allegations</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>British
Army</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td
colspan="8"><p><strong>Number Of Voyeurism Allegations</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Month/Service</p></td><td><p>April
2014</p></td><td><p>May 2014</p></td><td><p>June 2014</p></td><td><p>July 2014</p></td><td><p>August
2014</p></td><td><p>September 2014</p></td><td><p>October 2014</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>British
Army</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Royal
Air Force</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td
colspan="8"><p><strong>Number Of Other Sexual Offences Under The Sexual Offences Act
2003 Allegations</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Month/Service</p></td><td><p>April
2014</p></td><td><p>May 2014</p></td><td><p>June 2014</p></td><td><p>July 2014</p></td><td><p>August
2014</p></td><td><p>September 2014</p></td><td><p>October 2014</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>British
Army</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Notes:
The table only details investigations where the appropriate Service police have jurisdiction
and investigative lead.</p><p>The allegation recorded against each Service is that
of the victim.</p><p> </p><p>No such allegations have been reported to the Service
police in respect of sexual activity in public lavatory or from any of the Reserve
Forces for the period detailed in the above tables.</p><p> </p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made in
assessing the systems used by (a) his Department, (b) the Army, (c) the Navy and (d)
the RAF for recording service complaints; and if he will make a statement.
<p>Accurate data is clearly important for assessing the efficiency and effectiveness
of the complaints process. Service complaints data is captured by all three Services
on the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system. The system and the supporting
guidance for users have been refined following internal audits of JPA's effectiveness
and extent of its use in 2008 and 2012.</p><p>A third audit is being carried out to
review the adequacy and effectiveness of actions taken in response to the audit in
2012. The Service Complaints Commissioner is fully involved in the audit.</p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many reports of allegations of (a)
sexual assault, (b) exposure, (c) voyeurism, (d) sexual activity in a public lavatory
and (e) other forms of sexual misconduct were made by commanding officers to each
of the service police forces in (i) 2013 and (ii) 2014 to date; and if he will make
a statement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2014
to Question 210743, when the changes to the habitation of offenders legislation came
into force; when his Department became aware of this change; and if he will make a
statement.
<p>In my answer of 21 October 2014 to Question UIN 210743 I referred to 2011 as being
the year in which changes to rehabilitation legislation came into effect. I should
clarify that this was, in fact, the year in which we first recognised the implications
of the changes, which came into effect in December 2008. My answer to your question
on 28 April 2014 (Official Report, columns 443-444W) explained that, since the implications
of the changes were recognised, no administrative action has been taken against service
personnel who received a police caution that is immediately spent. We do not comment
on individual complaints.</p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2014
to Question 210743, what the nature is of the disciplinary action taken against the
four serving members of the armed forces who lodged complaints which were subsequently
and remain stayed; and if he will make a statement.
<p>In my answer of 21 October 2014 to Question UIN 210743 I referred to 2011 as being
the year in which changes to rehabilitation legislation came into effect. I should
clarify that this was, in fact, the year in which we first recognised the implications
of the changes, which came into effect in December 2008. My answer to your question
on 28 April 2014 (Official Report, columns 443-444W) explained that, since the implications
of the changes were recognised, no administrative action has been taken against service
personnel who received a police caution that is immediately spent. We do not comment
on individual complaints.</p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his letter to the Defence
Committee of 1 August 2014, whether the cost-benefit analysis of the recruitment of
minors was based on (a) the final analysis or (b) the draft cost-benefit analysis;
and if he will make a statement.
<p>The figures used in my right hon. Friend the Defence Secretary's letter of 1 August
2014 to the Defence Committee were taken from the final version of the cost-benefit
analysis.</p><p>The report has been finalised and a copy is attached<ins class="ministerial">.</ins></p><p>
</p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the letter of 1 August
2014 to the Defence Committee, whether his Department's cost-benefit analysis of the
recruitment of minors has been finalised; and if he will make a statement.
<p>The figures used in my right hon. Friend the Defence Secretary's letter of 1 August
2014 to the Defence Committee were taken from the final version of the cost-benefit
analysis.</p><p>The report has been finalised and a copy is attached<ins class="ministerial">.</ins></p><p>
</p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service personnel under the age
of 18 have been sent to a combat zone in each year since 2010; and if he will make
a statement.
<p>One Serviceman under the age of 18 was deployed to Afghanistan in January 2010,
for a period of approximately three months. Ministry of Defence records indicate the
likelihood that another Serviceman under the age of 18 was deployed to Afghanistan
in early 2010, but that, in this event, he was removed from theatre immediately upon
his arrival.</p><p> </p><p>Due to the actions that were identified and acted upon
to ensure such mistakes were not repeated, there have been no such deployments since
2011.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service personnel have been prescribed
the Lariam form of mefloquine in each month of 2014 to date; and if he will make a
statement.
<p>Mefloquine (commercially known as Lariam) is one of a number of effective methods
of malaria chemoprophylaxis used by the military in many parts of the world where
Service personnel deploy. The exact choice of drug depends on a number of factors,
including the region the individual is deploying to, their health and any past history
of side effects.</p><p> </p><p>These drugs are licensed in the UK by the Medicines
and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, based on the expert guidance of the Advisory
Committee for Malaria Prevention of Public Health England. The MOD reviews its policy
on the use of antimalarial drugs in line with advice from the Advisory Committee.</p><p>
</p><p>The following numbers of UK Armed Forces personnel, Regular and Reservist,
have been prescribed Mefloquine in each month of 2014:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Month</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number
of Personnel</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>January</p></td><td><p>195</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>February</p></td><td><p>169</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March</p></td><td><p>310</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>April</p></td><td><p>108</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>May</p></td><td><p>161</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>June</p></td><td><p>295</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>July</p></td><td><p>219</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>August</p></td><td><p>118</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>September</p></td><td><p>149</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>October</p></td><td><p>134</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>November
(up to 18 November)</p></td><td><p>40</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>TOTAL</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>1,898</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>
</p><p>It should be noted that personnel have been counted in every month they were
prescribed Mefloquine, but have only been counted once per month.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>