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<p>All reports of sexual assault or sexual harassment should be dealt with appropriately
and with the right support. The Leaders of the two Houses have set up a Working Group
on an Independent Complaints and Grievance Policy to draw up and implement a new bicameral
bullying and harassment procedure. Officials from the Lords Administration are working
with their Commons counterparts to support that working group.</p><p>Currently, there
are a number of support services available to those who work on the Lords part of
the Parliamentary Estate and who wish to report, or have reported, a sexual assault
or sexual harassment. Members, Members’ staff and staff of the House have access to
the Parliamentary Health and Wellbeing Service and the five Parliamentary Workplace
Equality Networks. Members’ staff and House staff may also get independent support
from Employee Assistance Programmes [Health Assured for Members’ staff and Workplace
Options for House staff].</p><p>For employees of the Administration, the Staff Handbook
sets out the procedures for reporting harassment or bullying of any type and the support
available to them. For Members and Members’ staff, reports of bullying and harassment
are currently dealt with through the relevant Whips Offices or through the Convenor’s
office.</p><p>Members of the House of Lords are subject to a Code of Conduct which
provides guidance on the standards of conduct expected of members in the discharge
of their parliamentary duties and includes a requirement to act on their personal
honour. An individual can make a complaint about the conduct of a Member to the independent
Commissioner for Standards who would make a preliminary assessment of whether the
allegation was linked to the discharge of parliamentary duties and, if so, whether
it could constitute a breach of the Code. If the preliminary assessment concluded
that these two tests had been met the Commissioner would investigate the allegation
in accordance with the current procedures set out in the Code. The procedures and
processes for investigating complaints made under the Code were not designed with
complaints of this nature in mind and this is something the Commissioner would need
to advise any potential complainant about, it is also something the Committee for
Privileges and Conduct will need to consider. Anyone wishing to establish whether
the particular behaviour of an individual member could amount to a breach of the Code
should contact the Commissioner for further information.</p><p>In addition, anyone
working on the Lords part of the Estate has independent access to ACAS services and
can report a sexual assault or sexual harassment to the Police.</p><p> </p>
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