§ 3. Mr. Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock)If he will make a statement on recent involvement by United Kingdom military forces in Sierra Leone. [70493]
§ The Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. George Robertson)The presence of HMS Westminster and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Goldrover off the coast of Sierra Leone demonstrates the United Kingdom's continuing commitment to the Government of Sierra Leone and ECOMOG, and to promoting peace and stability in the region. Those ships, and the troops embarked, have provided much needed humanitarian assistance.
§ Mr. MackinlaySince the restoration of President Kabbah, what troops or units have embarked for Sierra Leone, what was their role, have they been involved in any firing on receipt of firing, and what were the rules of engagement?
§ Mr. RobertsonMy hon. Friend probably knows the answers to his questions.
§ Mr. MackinlayI have not had the brief today.
§ Mr. RobertsonIf my hon. Friend has sat through all the sessions of the Foreign Affairs Committee and does not know that HMS Norfolk preceded HMS Westminster, he is not living up to the high standards that I have always expected of him. I am sure that he does not need a specific briefing. Both those Royal Navy ships and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels with them have given outstanding help, and the trouble and time that they have taken have been deeply appreciated by the Government of Sierra Leone. The rules of engagement are the normal rules that apply in such circumstances, and allow them to return fire only if they are under attack and lives are at risk.
§ Mr. Julian Brazier (Canterbury)Our armed forces are severely overstretched, the Government are planning a possible large-scale intervention in Kosovo and there is bombing in the Gulf: does not Sierra Leone add just one more overseas operation to the list and expose us to even greater overstretch? At what point will the Government decide either that our armed forces are too small for the jobs that they are expected to do, or that the Government's eyes are too large for their stomach?
§ Mr. RobertsonWe do what we can, as a country and as regards our armed forces. The Government must deal with what we inherited after the previous Government's pretty savage cuts to the Ministry of Defence budget and to the numbers employed in the armed forces.
However, the hon. Gentleman makes the perfectly reasonable point that from time to time a judgment has to be made about what can be done and what can be expected from the people under one's command. That is why we have been able to provide, by means of two Royal Navy warships, considerable help to the authorities in Sierra Leone. They have been outstanding in the humanitarian assistance that they have given. In the past few months, the Government have also been able to give sizeable economic assistance and non-lethal equipment to those serving in Sierra Leone, but there is no intention of becoming militarily involved in that part of the world.