§ 3. Mr. Jim Fitzpatrick (Poplar and Canning Town)How many British troops are deployed in Sierra Leone. [127258]
§ The Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Geoffrey Hoon)More than 300 UK military personnel are currently deployed on the ground in Sierra Leone. These include members of the short-term training team, lead elements of the UK-led international military advisory and training team, support and protection elements, the British military liaison officer, and members of the United Nations mission in Sierra Leone and of the Department for International Development-sponsored Sierra Leone security sector reform project. In addition, HMS Argyll and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Sir Percivale have crews totalling some 240 personnel.
§ Mr. FitzpatrickI thank my right hon. Friend for that response. May I express the appreciation of my constituents—some of whom have relatives in Sierra Leone and others have simply expressed concern about the situation there—for the role that our troops have been playing? Will he advise the House what progress is being made to deal with the illegal diamond trade which is perceived by many as fuelling the civil war?
§ Mr. Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock)rose—
§ Mr. HoonI am extremely grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock (Mr. Mackinlay) for his offer of help.
Britain wants international action to curb the illicit trade in conflict diamonds to be proceeded with as a matter of urgency. A new Security Council resolution on Sierra Leone provides a significant opportunity to focus the international community on addressing the problem and exploring measures to tackle it. Britain is certainly proposing ideas to prevent RUF access to Sierra Leone diamonds and the diamond markets, and to help the development of a regulated and sustainable diamond industry in Sierra Leone.