27 Mar 25. House of Commons Select Committee Team. Landmark report from Defence Committee showcased in returning select committee podcast, Committee Corridor. Host Dame Meg Hillier MP also asks new MPs for their take on joining Parliament’s select committees. Hours before military chiefs from the Army, Navy and Air Force were due to update the Defence Committee on progress towards a landmark report last week, the Ministry of Defence announced fresh measures to target violence against women and girls to “tackle unacceptable behaviours in the military.” The Chief of the British Army later told MPs that he felt ‘angry’ and ‘ashamed’ of experiences reported by female soldiers. The changes included a new specialist tri-service team for taking serious complaints outside the single service chain of command – one of the few remaining recommendations from the Defence Committee’s 2021 report on Women in the Armed Forces that the Government did not immediately accept. It’s another example of how select committee reports continue to wrestle change in government policy. In this new episode of Committee Corridor, the podcast from select committees, Dame Meg Hillier MP takes the work of the Defence Committee to demonstrate the continuing impact of select committee work. To understand how the inquiry progressed through the last Parliament and hear their reaction to the latest developments, Meg Hillier speaks to Sarah Atherton who chaired the Defence Committee’s inquiry as a Conservative Member of Parliament for Wrexham and Emma Norton, Director of the Centre for Military Justice, who gave evidence. Emma continues to represent many service women who have experienced sexual assault and harassment. Current Defence Chair, Tan Dhesi MP joins the conversation to explain how the Committee is continuing to take the work forward. Later, Meg is joined by two recently elected Members of Parliament to hear their first impressions of joining select committees and hopes for work in this Parliament. Steff Aquarone, Liberal Democrat MP for North Norfolk joined Transport while Natasha Irons, Labour MP for Croydon East joined the Culture, Media and Sport Committee. They chat about how work in committee rooms feels more like ‘real life’ outside Westminster. Plus, could ministers and leaders be scored for their transparency at select committee evidence sessions? The Defence Committee’s 2021 report found that the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces were failing to protect female personnel and support Servicewomen to achieve their full potential. The Ministry of Defence took the unusual step of allowing serving personnel to contribute written evidence to the inquiry enabling female Servicewomen to share experiences from practical issues of uniform and kit to a lack of faith in the complaints process. There was distressing evidence of serious cases of bullying, harassment and discrimination and criminal acts of sexual assault and rape. Following the 2024 general election, the current Defence Committee will continue to hold the MOD to account for progress. Dame Meg Hillier MP, Chair of the Treasury and Liaison Committees, hosts this episode and a second on the work of the Liaison Committee, before the podcast returns in May with five episodes on key environmental questions to be hosted by Toby Perkins MP, Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee.