Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what policies the Army Foundation College has to ensure that female armed forces recruits under the age of 18 in its care are safeguarded from sexually inappropriate imagery, language and contact.

The Army takes the safeguarding of its people extremely seriously and recognises the need to treat under 18s appropriately. The Army Foundation College (Harrogate) was assessed as 'Outstanding' by Ofsted during the last inspection in October 2017 in all three categories (Outcomes for recruits and trainees, Quality of Welfare & Duty of Care, and the Effectiveness of Leadership & Management).

The Army also elects to impose a higher level of employment checks on the instructors of all Basic Training establishments, to provide additional safeguarding measures.

The Army constantly seeks to improve training and awareness so that all Service personnel know how to report concerns and access support if needed.

Throughout their careers, Service personnel receive a range of training specifically about the subject of consent; underpinned by the fact that they remain subject to civilian laws on sexually inappropriate imagery, language and contact, as protected by the Equality Act 2010.