Fiona Bruce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-01-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the most recent Code of Social Conduct was issued for the armed forces; if he will place in the Library a copy of that code: what restrictions that code contains on sexual activity by service personnel; and whether adultery continues to be a ground for discharge from the armed forces.
Mark Lancaster
The Armed Forces Code of Social Conduct (AF CSC) is contained in Part 1 of Joint Service Publication (JSP) 887 entitled ‘Diversity Inclusion and Social Conduct’; this publication was most recently updated in December 2014. A copy of JSP 887 has been placed in the Library of the House.
Adultery, per se, does not constitute grounds for dismissal from the Armed Forces. However, if the actions or behaviour of an individual adversely impact, or are likely to impact, on the efficiency or operational effectiveness of the Service then a range of sanctions may be applied, up to and including dismissal.
The AF CSC does not provide a prescriptive list of restrictions on sexual activity; it provides examples of the kinds of conduct or relationship that may constitute social misbehaviour. This includes unwelcome sexual attention; over-familiarity with the spouses or partners of other Service personnel; behaviour which damages or hazards the marriage or personal relationships of Service personnel or civilian colleagues within the wider Defence community; and taking sexual advantage of subordinates.
The seriousness with which misconduct will be regarded by a Commanding Officer will depend on the individual circumstances that prevail at that time and the potential for adversely affecting operational effectiveness. Nevertheless, misconduct involving abuse of position, trust or rank, or taking advantage of an individual’s separation will be viewed as being particularly serious.
