Iraq: UK Forces Weapons Training (Hansard, 9 November 2004)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach)
My Lords, all soldiers on active service in Iraq are required to undertake appropriate weapons training in accordance with clear standards laid down by policy.

§ Lord Holme of Cheltenham
My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for that reply, but I wonder whether he thinks that it is adequate to the very serious revelation made in a court martial acquittal verdict last week that 753 2,300 reservists have been sent to Iraq despite having failed their weapons tests, in flat contravention of the rules on deployment and putting their own and other people's lives in considerable danger. How many reservists today serving in Iraq have still not passed their weapons test? Further, who made the decision to deploy them? If it was a military decision, who will be facing disciplinary proceedings? If it was a political decision, who will be coming before Parliament to accept responsibility?

§ Lord Bach
My Lords, I, too, saw the press reports of the case that the noble Lord mentions. Of course we are aware of and giving serious consideration to the comments made in those press reports of the recent trial, which, I remind the noble Lord, ended only six days ago. We are still awaiting the transcript. It is completely untrue that 2,300 reserves were deployed on operations having failed safety tests.

§ Lord Truscott
My Lords, to what extent has the largest deployment of Territorial Army and reservists since the Korean war been a success?

§ Lord Bach
My Lords, as the House knows, I think, the performance of the TA and the reservists in theatre has been a resounding success. Their record speaks for itself. They have once again earned the respect of their regular counterparts. More than 9,000 have served since TELIC 1 began. Part of that success can be put down to the excellent training that they received in the TA and reserves before mobilisation and afterwards. The House may wish to join me in paying tribute to them, their families, their employers and the communities who supported them. Noble Lords will be aware of the two gallantry awards made to TA soldiers: a Military Cross and a Queen's Gallantry Medal.

§ Lord Astor of Hever
My Lords, can the Minister confirm that there were weapons instructors at Chilwell who were themselves not properly qualified? Is he satisfied that the highest standards are now applied to instructors responsible for training TA soldiers about to go to war?

§ Lord Bach
My Lords, I am afraid that I do not know the answer to the noble Lord's first question. While we are giving serious consideration to the comments reported in the press on the recent trial of Corporal Blaymire, instructions have been issued to ensure that only personnel who have been trained strictly in accordance with the policy that I mentioned are deployed.

§ Lord Redesdale
My Lords, why does the Minister not know why training instructors have failed their weapons test? As a former TA range officer, I know that the amount of everyday training given to TA personnel is far from adequate for sending them on operations. The Minister must be aware that remedial training must have been available. How much 754 remedial training was undertaken? If none was undertaken, someone at the MoD should take the blame.

§ Lord Bach
My Lords, I repeat that the success of our reserves and TA in Iraq is in part due to the excellent training that they received. I have said three times now that we are giving serious consideration to comments made in the press. But I can tell the noble Lord that no soldier has been deployed with a weapon to Iraq who has not passed the requisite safety tests. Only three individuals who have failed the safety test have been deployed to Iraq. All three were employed in a field hospital—one was a surgeon, one a chef and one a medical technician—and none was equipped with a weapon. Others who have not passed the safety test have just not been deployed.

§ Viscount Slim
My Lords—

§ The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford
My Lords—

§ Lord Grocott
My Lords, we have time for questions from the Cross Benches and the Bishops' Bench, in strict rotation.

§ Viscount Slim
My Lords, as we know, soldiers work mostly by night. It has come to my notice lately and it is my personal observation that weapons training and the testing of range-firing and weapons is perhaps not carried out sufficiently in the dark. It is a very important part of training. Will the Minister give me some comfort that proper attention is being paid to it?

§ Lord Bach
My Lords, I am sure that it is. However, because the noble Viscount, who has vast experience in the field, asks the question, I will give him a written answer, having confirmed what I have just said.

§ The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford
My Lords, does the Minister accept that, although it is quite proper for us to pursue the sorts of issues that have been raised in questions today and in others, while our troops are involved at a moment of considerable danger, it behoves all of us to exercise restraint in our conversation? Will he further accept that what the troops most need at this time are our prayers and affection?

§ Lord Bach
My Lords, I thank the right reverend Prelate. I had to resist making a comment from the Dispatch Box—not nearly as eloquently as the right reverend Prelate has done. The more we ask questions about this at present, I wonder who it gives succour to.

§ Lord Campbell-Savours
My Lords, in the light of well sourced reports that the United States military is denying the Iraqi army and its soldiers on active service the military equipment they need to undertake fully their security responsibilities, is it not an item that should be placed on the agenda in talks between the United States military and our military authorities?

§ Lord Bach
My Lords, I have not heard those reports. Indeed, I know that great efforts are being 755 made here and in the United States to ensure that the new Iraqi army is properly equipped. If this is a real issue, then of course it should be on the agenda.