§ The Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Geoffrey Hoon)With permission, Madam Speaker, I wish to make a further statement about the deployment of British troops in Sierra Leone.
In my statement last week, I informed the House about British forces' deployment to Sierra Leone. British troops are in Sierra Leone to get British nationals out and help get UN reinforcements in. That is what our troops were sent to do and it is what they will carry on doing as long as is necessary. They are doing that job exceptionally well. British forces in Sierra Leone have secured Lungi airport while UN Forces are building up. Following the attack on the Parachute Regiment last week, they moved light guns ashore and conducted reconnaissance flights to assist in that task.
Separately, British officers are providing military advice to UNAMSIL, the Government of Sierra Leone, and the UN in New York. Our aim is to help the UN create a more effective UN force in Sierra Leone, which can restore peace and order in Sierra Leone and help the Government there re-establish stability.
That strategy is making significant progress. In the past week, we have seen the arrival of capable and effective UN reinforcements through Lungi airport. The Revolutionary United Front has been pushed back by the forces of the Government of Sierra Leone. We have seen Foday Sankoh, the RUF leader, arrested and detained by the Sierra Leonean authorities. That is of significance. He is ultimately responsible for the actions of the rebels whom he leads. His future is for the Government of Sierra Leone to decide, but the RUF must be clear that the violence must stop, and that the peace process must be carried forward. Our longer-term aim is to have a stable Sierra Leone in which rebel fighting forces have been demobilised, with the Government of Sierra Leone in control of the diamond-producing areas.
I should like to inform the House of changes in our military deployments following that encouraging progress in the UN build-up. As I made clear last week, our intention is that UK forces will stay in Sierra Leone no longer than is necessary. Indeed, UNAMSIL is preparing the way for a formal takeover of the UK's role at the airport in due course.
The 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment has played an outstandingly successful role in securing the airport since it arrived earlier this month. However, conditions on the ground are difficult. Living conditions are extremely basic and the environment in which the forces are operating is hot, humid and thoroughly unpleasant. Furthermore, the regiment now needs to prepare for other duties facing it later this year. The Government have therefore decided to replace the 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment, which will start to return to the UK this week, with 42 Commando Royal Marines. That has a practical advantage, as the marines can be sustained logistically from HMS Ocean's amphibious group just offshore. That will enable us to continue to secure Lungi during the continued build-up of UN forces in the period to mid-June, and to do so without ourselves overtaxing the limited infrastructure of the airport.
The changeover will represent the first stage of our plan to withdraw the bulk of our deployed force by the previously announced timetable of mid-June. 864 That recognises the other commitments that our armed forces have, and my concern to avoid adding to the pressures on them. It also demonstrates the utility and effectiveness of the flexible, balanced force that we sent to the region.
Looking ahead to when the main UK forces withdraw, advance elements of the UK-led international military assistance training team, announced by the Prime Minister on 27 March, will be arriving in Freetown very shortly. The training team is part of the Government's wider programme of assistance in helping the Government of Sierra Leone to restore peace and stability after eight years of brutal civil war. The team will provide advice and training to help the Government of Sierra Leone rebuild new, effective and democratically accountable armed forces and a Ministry of Defence in line with the Lomé peace agreement.
I take this opportunity to assure the House that we will also continue to be very mindful of the situation regarding all the detainees—in particular the delicate position of Major Andrew Harrison and the continuing search for the missing aid worker, Alan Smith.
Creating new, democratically accountable armed forces in Sierra Leone is vital to the long-term restoration of peace and security in that country. The UK will provide the majority of the personnel, but the team will be a multinational effort. We are encouraging other countries with an interest in building peace in Sierra Leone to contribute to building it up, as soon as it is safe to do so, to a team about 90 strong.
Given the return to violence by the RUF, we will also be giving the Sierra Leone army access, under the supervision of British officers, to stocks of light weapons and ammunition, if those are needed for operations. The precise distribution of arms and ammunition will be carefully considered in the context of the local political situation and the wider regional issues.
Our armed forces are doing an excellent job, as has been widely acknowledged in Britain and internationally. Our service men and women can be justifiably proud of the job that they have done. What we are now setting in place are the arrangements for our continuing support to the Government of Sierra Leone. Our deployment has been a practical example of British ground forces being a force for good, and has clearly demonstrated the flexible deployment concept that was at the heart of the strategic defence review. We are showing not only that we can deploy forces rapidly in response to a crisis, but that we will withdraw them when we judge that it is right to do so.
In short, our immediate mission remains the same: to secure the airport for evacuation purposes and to allow the reinforcement of the UN contingent. Our assumptions on timing remain the same: the build-up of UN forces between now and mid-June is clearly on schedule. The replacement of the Parachute Regiment by the Marines is a sensible military step, which preserves our capability on the ground for the remainder of this mission, while allowing the Parachute Regiment to return to the UK.
Finally, our commitment to promoting stability and security in Sierra Leone remains the same. Our decision to enhance the capability of the Sierra Leone army is an essential element of that. We will continue to do all that we reasonably can to help the UN achieve its mission, 865 including giving advice and providing logistical support. Britain will continue to stand by the people of Sierra Leone in their search for a permanent peace.
§ Mr. Iain Duncan Smith (Chingford and Woodford Green)I thank the Secretary of State for giving me prior sight of the statement, even though it was difficult to obtain a copy until shortly before he spoke. He will forgive me if some of my questions have already been answered.
The Opposition are proud of all that our armed forces have been asked to do and of what they achieve. Whatever they are asked to do, we will continue to support them. The situation was brought home to us last Wednesday, when we had a clear reminder—if any reminder were necessary—of how dangerous the situation in Sierra Leone is. We were also reminded how good our troops are when they came under fire, as the Secretary of State said, apparently from members of the Revolutionary United Front. Our troops behaved impeccably, drove away those fighters and, it seems, killed four of them. We understand, and I hope that the Secretary of State will confirm, that the people who took them on were not drug-crazed youngsters blazing away, but efficient, reasonably well trained and well armed troops. It is important to point that out, as it reminds us all the more how good our troops are.
We welcome the announcement of the withdrawal of the Paras. It must have been pretty miserable for them to sit in the airport in those conditions. We recognise that that consideration must have contributed to the MOD's decision, and we welcome that as well. Our thoughts are with the families of those Paras and all the others who are serving out there: it must be a difficult time for them, as they do not know when they will see their menfolk—or their women—again.
I welcome the Secretary of State's decision to make the statement. It is clear that things are moving fast in Sierra Leone. We called for statements, and the fact that the Secretary of State has responded is cause for congratulations.
Our position is also clear, and has been from the word go. We have always been worried, and continue to be worried, that without enough clarity—without a clear mission and simple tasks—we risk being sucked into a longer-term engagement that will chase events rather than controlling them. To an extent the Secretary of State faced that fact today, and gave answers to some of the questions that have been raised. We will, however, continue to support our armed forces. As the Secretary of State knows, more than a week ago we made a clear offer to support them and, if they are called on to do even more—to take a more aggressive stance in dealing with the RUF to stabilise the situation—to support the bringing in of the United Nations if necessary.
The statement raises questions which, at first glance, require answers. The Secretary of State spoke of the way in which rebel forces had been demobilised, with the Government of Sierra Leone controlling diamond producing in the long run. That seems to differ from what the Foreign Secretary has said in the past about arrangements in the Lomé agreement to establish who controls the diamond fields. Will the Secretary of State explain exactly what that means?
866 The Secretary of State spoke of other duties later in the year for our armed forces. Will he also explain exactly what that means? The reference seems somewhat open-ended, and I am not sure how it will work in practice. The right hon. Gentleman referred to military advice, and to advisers' being fully in place to advise and train Sierra Leone armed forces. There is a clear sense that that has already been announced: we knew that those advisers were being put in. I wonder why the Secretary of State felt it necessary to reannounce it. Are we talking about a greater number of advisers, or about an expansion of their role?
Back in March, a $16 million aid package was announced for just such a training scheme. Perhaps the Secretary of State could check with the Foreign Secretary, and ask what happened to that package. Was it sent, has it been used, or is it still part of the new package that the Secretary of State has announced? Furthermore, the commitment to the UN seems to run counter to the Foreign Secretary's assurances that we were not becoming embroiled in the workings of the UN in Sierra Leone. Surely the mission has changed in that respect: it has not remained exactly the same.
Let me now deal with questions concerning the Sierra Leone army, and the Secretary of State's announcement that we will provide it with arms. How will the MOD control the way in which those arms are handed out? We already know that there are at least five separate militias—a sort of alphabet soup of shifting allegiances. It is very difficult to track the way in which those militias work with, within or without the SLA. We know that last night members of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council were engaged in a vicious fire fight with members of the Government, during which two members of UNAMSIL were shot dead, as well as three AFRC members. That illustrates just how difficult it is to define the clean break between who are members of the SLA, who are members of the militias, who is on the Government side and who is not. If we are not careful, we may risk arming some of the militias, and possibly even passing some arms to the RUF. How will we stabilise the position? What will we do about the militias, and what does the MOD plan to do with regard to the reconstruction of the SLA and the question of being sucked in?
What set tasks does the Secretary of State expect to be in place, so that we can define when we will withdraw British troops? What tasks will be achieved? We need to know exactly how the troops will be withdrawn.
Conservative Members still believe that greater clarity is required about our relationship with Sierra Leone, and whether it is necessary for us to take a more aggressive stance to stabilise the position, to drive back the RUF, and to work with the militias. If so, how will we control them? Will the Secretary of State confirm that that option remains open?
§ Mr. HoonI thank the hon. Gentleman for his unqualified support for British forces. I confirm that the RUF contingent that engaged in a fire fight with elements of the Parachute Regiment last Wednesday was well armed, well equipped and well organised. I thank the hon. Gentleman for his further thoughts for the families of those who are deployed in Sierra Leone. Arrangements are in place to ensure that those families are properly briefed about the circumstances.
867 I take issue with the hon. Gentleman's comments about consistency. There is no inconsistency in the Government's position. If he compares the statement that I made today with that made by the Foreign Secretary on 8 May, the statement issued on behalf of the Prime Minister on 11 May, and the statement that I made last week, on 15 May, he will realise that our position has been clear and precise throughout.
On the hon. Gentleman's final question, the mission that we asked British forces to complete was set out in those statements: it is to secure the airport to allow for the evacuation of British and other entitled nationals and to permit reinforcement by the UN of its contingent in Sierra Leone. That remains the task in which British troops are engaged. If the hon. Gentleman requires a test for when we will have completed the mission, it is when the UN reaches its authorised limit. More important, the UN will then be in a position to secure the airport for further reinforcements, if necessary, to assume the responsibilities that British forces have undertaken.
The hon. Gentleman referred to the diamond areas and the Lomé agreement. Clearly, it makes sense that we should ensure that the forces of the Government of Sierra Leone are in a position to secure the country which they have a mandate to represent. That includes the diamond-producing areas, which, as my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made clear in his statement, are the source of the instability in Sierra Leone. It therefore makes sense when training the forces of the Government of Sierra Leone to allow them to be properly equipped. That is consistent with decisions that had previously been made pursuant to the Lomé agreement. That is why the training team, which was announced some time ago, will continue its task as soon as it is safe to do that. Frankly, the hon. Gentleman simply underlined the consistency of our approach throughout.
May I apologise to the hon. Gentleman for the late notice of the statement and explain that the "other duties" about which he asked are not necessarily in Sierra Leone. They are the normal duties on which we would expect the Parachute Regiment to be engaged. Given that the regiment was deployed as part of the Spearhead Battalion, it is right that, if possible, it should continue with its normal duties. The changeover allows that.
§ Mr. Menzies Campbell (North-East Fife)I, too, offer my support to the troops and their families in the same terms as the hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr. Duncan Smith). I offer my support for the statement not least because the Secretary of State has outlined an identifiable political aim, namely the stability of Sierra Leone, the demobilisation of the rebels and bringing the control of diamonds into the hands of the Sierra Leone Government. That is a substantial political objective. When the Secretary of State says that British troops will not stay longer than necessary, is not the truth that they will have to stay as long as is necessary to achieve those political objectives?
It is also clear that the direction of United Kingdom forces, United Nations forces, the Sierra Leone army and the Nigerian forces is under the control of Brigadier Richards. Why do we not acknowledge that? Why are the Government reluctant to admit that they are doing good? The answer is that to do that would require them to go beyond the original stated purpose of evacuation and 868 securing the airport. On any view, what is happening on the ground is at the very least a flexible interpretation of those original objectives.
There is some relief on the Liberal Democrat Benches that the Secretary of State has now abandoned the fiction that the British forces are not combat troops. Is it not clear that they have enjoyed success precisely because they are ready and capable of combat and because anyone who seeks to interfere with their activities will find that out to their cost?
§ Mr. HoonThe right hon. and learned Gentleman is a subtle and sophisticated man, and I am sorry that he resorts to such convoluted reasoning to justify his present position. I used the expression "force for good" and we are proud of our forces and the work that they have done, and continue to do, in Sierra Leone. As regards the right hon. and learned Gentleman's suggestion that I should admit that they have been used as combat forces, we have never had any reservations about that fact. We have made it clear, and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has said repeatedly, that if those forces were attacked they would defend themselves and the mission that took them to Sierra Leone—the protection of the airport. That is precisely what happened in the early hours of last Wednesday morning. They were attacked and they responded robustly and extremely effectively. There has never been any doubt about that, but we have made it clear that British forces would not become combat troops on behalf of either the Government of Sierra Leone or the United Nations. That has been absolutely consistent throughout and it remains the case today. We are supporting the Government of Sierra Leone and the UN mission by ensuring that the Government of Sierra Leone—consistent with the Lomé agreement—have access to properly trained, properly disciplined forces, which they can use to bring Sierra Leone under their effective control.
§ Mr. David Winnick (Walsall, North)Has my right hon. Friend seen the photograph in a British newspaper of a 14-month-old child, whose hand was cut off six months ago? Is not that as good an illustration as any of the crimes and atrocities that are taking place in Sierra Leone? Have we learned the lessons of the past—that any kind of coalition with the rebel forces in that country should be totally unacceptable, that there can be no stability until the rebels are militarily defeated and, therefore, that an international force is necessary? We should be proud of the role that British troops are playing.
§ Mr. HoonI thank my hon. Friend for his observations. Yes, I have seen the photograph to which he refers, and many others like it. An appalling aspect of what has taken place in Sierra Leone is that it is possible that that child lost an arm as a result of the activities of child soldiers on the other side who perhaps are only a few years older. That is why it is necessary that Sierra Leone should return to peace and stability and why it is important that we should assist its democratically elected Government to achieve what was set out in the Lomé agreement in respect of training and equipping their forces to do the job that is clearly necessary to bring greater peace and 869 stability to that country—otherwise we could face the recurrence of such violence, and see more of the appalling pictures to which my hon. Friend refers.
§ Mr. Tom King (Bridgwater)Is it not our duty not merely to pay tribute in the House to the skill at arms of our forces—the Paras and 42 Commando—but to ensure that their achievement is lasting so that they do not have to go back and do it again? I have raised this matter previously with the Secretary of State: what efforts are Her Majesty's Government making to ensure that the RUF is distinctly isolated and not getting any help from over the borders that might help to sustain its activities?
On the point made by my hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr. Duncan Smith), although I entirely accept that it is right to support the Sierra Leone army and ensure that it is properly supported, several other bodies may be temporarily in alliance, and they may be unreliable. We must ensure that the weapons that we may be providing to the Sierra Leone army do not get into the wrong hands so that we do not find that our forces are shot in the back by people using our arms.
§ Mr. HoonThe right hon. Gentleman is right. It is important that we ensure that the achievements our forces have made in Sierra Leone are lasting achievements. That is why I consciously linked the timetable for withdrawal to the prospect of an effective training team, to which, we hope, other countries will contribute, although we will take the lead and provide, I think, the bulk of those who are engaged in the training. It is important that we ensure that they have the means to carry out that training successfully and effectively.
I agree, too, that the RUF must be isolated. The continued detention of Sankoh assists in that process. We want to see him brought to trial. We want to be clear that he should no longer have any influence over the RUF in Sierra Leone. It follows from that that other countries, other forces outside that country, should not have any influence over that particular rebel group.
It is obviously important, which is why I expressed myself in very careful terms, that we maintain a degree of supervision over the distribution of those weapons, but, equally, we need to ensure that the training is accompanied by proper equipment for the forces of the Government of Sierra Leone, which will take on and continue to take on those difficult and dangerous tasks.
§ Mr. Tony Lloyd (Manchester, Central)The Secretary of State is right to be proud of what our Government and our troops are doing in Sierra Leone, but does he agree that a stable Sierra Leone and Sierra Leone now are legions apart? Stability requires a democratic Government who have the wherewithal to control the whole territory of Sierra Leone. The training of the army is fundamental both to controlling the diamonds, and to having an army that is accountable to that democratic Government and that is not simply one more armed band marauding and ripping up that country. In that context, my right hon. Friend is right to say that it is necessary to ensure that the army of Sierra Leone is properly equipped to take on the RUF, which itself is very well equipped because of the blood diamonds and the weapons that come through.
870 Will the Government make it clear to President Taylor of Liberia that his role in all this has been outrageous? His use of the profits from the diamond industries is an outrage. It is about time that he, too, cleaned up his act. That message should come not just from Britain but from the whole world community.
§ Mr. HoonMy hon. Friend is right to call for stability and for the forces of the Government of Sierra Leone to be properly trained. It is obviously vital that we do not simply create a situation in which we see a repetition of the appalling events that we have witnessed over recent times—but the situation today, thanks to the efforts of British forces and others, is unrecognisably different from that three weeks ago. By securing the situation in and around the airport and in particular by giving extra confidence to both the forces of the United Nations and the Government of Sierra Leone, British forces have made a considerable impact on the ground, which I am confident we can take forward through the training arrangements that I have described.
It is also important that we take that forward in the context of international pressure, as I indicated earlier. Pressure must be put on all those in the immediate vicinity to desist from any actions or activities that might lead to further instability in Sierra Leone. That means in particular the immediate neighbours of Sierra Leone itself.
§ Sir Peter Emery (East Devon)Does the Secretary of State accept that we all praise the work of the British forces and that many of us wish the Royal Marine Commando who are going in the best of good fortune, but does he know of last night's statement by the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the hon. Member for Neath (Mr. Hain), to the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs about the application by President Kabbah to the British Government, after the death of the Nigerian senior officer Maxwell Kobe, for Britain to supply a British officer to take the place of that Nigerian officer, who had been co-ordinating the military forces? Was the Secretary of State informed of that application? Did he have any input into the decision making before civil servants at the Foreign Office turned it down?
§ Mr. HoonI am grateful for the right hon. Gentleman's observations about the Royal Marine Commando. I am sure that those forces will be delighted to leave HMS Ocean, to get on to the ground and to continue the excellent work that has been done by the Parachute Regiment. We have had a number of requests from the President of Sierra Leone and, as I said in my statement, we have been able to accede to certain of them. We certainly want to ensure that we are in a position to give effective advice, but we recognise above all that it is for the Government of Sierra Leone to sort out their own affairs and to ensure that they have effective forces at their disposal with which to control Sierra Leone.
§ Mr. Donald Anderson (Swansea, East)My right hon. Friend will know that our troops have carried out a very effective but limited operation, although the attainment of the broader political objectives that he set out will be formidably difficult to achieve. He must be aware—anyone who knows the history of Sierra Leone will be so—that very infrequently has the writ of central Government extended far beyond Freetown and Lungi. 871 Does he really expect the Sierra Leone army, given its degree of fragmentation and lack of morale, even with the light arms that we will supply and the United Nations, to be able to inflict such a decisive military defeat on the RUF that it will not be able to move into Liberia and regroup, creating a continuing state of turbulence? Will he not underestimate the enormous degree of difficulty in attaining that laudable objective of peace of security which he has set out?
§ Mr. HoonMy hon. Friend referred to the effective and limited objective. It has been the Government's position throughout to ensure that British forces were deployed in order to achieve a particular and specific objective. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made that clear in his statement. The Government's position has remained absolutely consistent.
That is why it is important that I have linked the prospect of a withdrawal of British forces to the question of an effective training team in Sierra Leone which, working on behalf of the forces of the Government of Sierra Leone, can provide appropriate advice, assistance, equipment and logistical support to carry through what I accept and agree is the much more difficult process of bringing the remainder of the country under control. British forces have contributed significantly to the very early stages of what I recognise will be a difficult process for the Government of Sierra Leone.
§ Mr. Douglas Hogg (Sleaford and North Hykeham)Does the right hon. Gentleman understand that, despite the statement, there remains continuing anxiety about the nature, scale and length of the commitment? Does he also understand that, although we welcome statements, they are not a substitute for a full debate on a substantive motion? Will he therefore provide such a debate on our military and political commitment in Sierra Leone? Does he understand that many of us feel that the practice ought to be changed so that, whenever there is a substantial deployment of British forces overseas, the authority of this House is sought and obtained on a substantive motion?
§ Mr. HoonI am grateful for the first part of the right hon. and learned Gentleman's comments. I do not accept, however, that there has been the slightest anxiety about the scale of the deployment. The deployment of HMS Ocean and the Amphibious Ready Group was one matter that attracted comment, yet the reality, as I hope I have demonstrated today, is that their presence on the scene has given us the necessary flexibility to allow the changeover that I have just described.
So, notwithstanding the right hon. and learned Gentleman's anxieties, the deployment of that force—considerable, I recognise, but nevertheless one that has been used and has been useful—which simply initially contained elements in and around the airport, was a substantial undertaking. The airport area is 4 miles in radius—a significant area in which to control the activities of those who might threaten the security of the airport and landings by a variety of aircraft.
We have required a substantial force. Our forces have used it very effectively, and continue to do so. The reason for the size of the contingent was specifically to provide the flexibility of which we are now able to take advantage.
872 I am sure that the right hon. and learned Gentleman's request for a debate will have been heard by those who are responsible for such matters, and that he and his colleagues can pursue it through the usual channels.
§ Dr. Phyllis Starkey (Milton Keynes, South-West)My right hon. Friend has restated that the British forces are acting in support of the UN mission. Does he believe that the UNAMSIL mandate is sufficiently widely drawn to allow the UNAMSIL force to be proactive in protecting civilians in Sierra Leone and in helping to build a stable civil society there?
§ Mr. HoonI am confident that the mandate is sufficiently robust to allow that. I recognise what the UN mandate is, and we continue to look carefully at it and consider whether it is in need of any improvement. We are absolutely confident at present that there is a sufficient mandate to allow UN forces to carry out the tasks for which they are responsible.
§ Mr. John Wilkinson (Ruislip-Northwood)Does not the permanent Joint HQ Northwood deserve warm congratulations on having put together a particularly well-balanced force, with the appropriate range of capabilities?
I should like to put to the Secretary of State the question that he did not answer on 15 May. First, who is paying for this British deployment, in the first instance to extricate British nationals? Secondly, who will pay for the further involvement: the support of the UN, logistically and otherwise, perhaps over many months; the provision of the training teams; and the provision of armaments to the army of Sierra Leone? These are very serious engagements, which may not have British popular approval for very long, particularly if they are expensive to the taxpayer.
§ Mr. HoonUltimately, of course, it is the British taxpayer who will be responsible for meeting the cost of British forces in Sierra Leone. That has always been the position. We have armed forces to protect our immediate domestic interests, but also to operate as a force for good around the world. British taxpayers support that position, and have always done so.
As regards the UN, the hon. Gentleman knows full well that we make a regular commitment to the United Nations, and the cost of UN peacekeeping is paid for out of that.
The provision of training teams is part of a package of assistance to Sierra Leone that we announced some time ago: it is part of the continuing support that the British Government have given to Sierra Leone—support unmatched by any other country in the world.
§ Mr. Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock)There have been extensive reports that the bandits are using United Nations insignia and uniforms. One of the long-established principles of war is that it is a serious offence to wear the battledress and insignia of one's adversaries. Has my right hon. Friend had an opportunity to discuss with others—perhaps my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary—whether there should be international measures to jealously safeguard the light-blue insignia of the United Nations, so that it would be made abundantly clear, 873 both in this conflict and in any other, that any infringement and abuse of United Nations insignia would be a very serious war crime?
§ Mr. HoonMy hon. Friend consistently points out details of these issues that sometimes I have not thought of. That is certainly one. I take his comments seriously, but in the context of appalling atrocities, some of which my hon. Friend the Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) mentioned, the wearing of cap badges pales into insignificance alongside the mutilation of small children.
§ Mr. Peter Brooke (Cities of London and Westminster)Leaving aside the fact that so far the Leader of the House has rejected Opposition requests for a debate on Sierra Leone, can the Secretary of State tell the House why he did not answer the question of my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Sir P. Emery)?
§ Mr. Tony Worthington (Clydebank and Milngavie)I wish to associate myself with the congratulations to our defence forces, not just the paratroops, but the Ministry of Defence training team that I met in Freetown in March, who are doing nothing less than redesigning and recreating a democratically accountable army in Sierra Leone. On the success of its work will depend the success of the mission.
May I associate myself with the words of my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Central (Mr. Lloyd)? Unless we tackle the issue of Liberia, which has supported the RUF for nine years—this is associated with control of the diamond fields—we shall not achieve the objective. I realise that my right hon. Friend cannot tell us exactly what is happening about that, but we must put every pressure on President Taylor to stop the work that he has been doing.
§ Mr. HoonI can assure my hon. Friend that we are doing so, but I congratulate him on putting the problems of Sierra Leone into the appropriate international and regional context. It is clearly important that we take diplomatic and political action, as well as military action, to ensure that the pressure to which he referred is successful.
§ Mr. John Swinney (North Tayside)In offering support for the Government's strategy in Sierra Leone and for the work of our armed forces, I would also ask the Secretary of State to give some further details to the 874 House on the type of supervisory role that would be envisaged for British personnel in the distribution of arms to the Sierra Leone army to guarantee that they are used to reduce conflict, not to intensify it.
§ Mr. HoonThe hon. Gentleman is right to highlight that point and we are considering carefully the precise circumstances in which the arms will be distributed. As I said in my statement, there will be an appropriate degree of supervision.
§ Mr. Mike Gapes (Ilford, South)My right hon. Friend knows that when the British soldiers were attacked the other day they were with Nigerians, and the Nigerians have been working effectively alongside our armed forces in Sierra Leone. Will my right hon. Friend take this opportunity to pass on from the House to Nigeria and the other countries in the region, as well as to India, Jordan and the other countries that have supported the UN efforts, our best wishes to all those personnel who are doing such a vital job?
§ Mr. HoonMy hon. Friend is right to place what is happening in Sierra Leone in an appropriate regional context. The forces of Nigeria have made a tremendous contribution in the region and have sustained significant losses in the process. It is important that we pay proper tribute to the efforts that they have made and continue to make, and to the fact that they are still willing further to reinforce their contingent in Sierra Leone as a contribution to the efforts of the international community.
§ Mr. Martin Bell (Tatton)I wish to communicate to the Secretary of State an offer about which I have also written to him. It comes from my constituent, Mr. Shakib Basma of Wilmslow, who happens to be a prominent Freetown barrister and is the owner of a disused holiday village some 25 miles from Freetown that might make an ideal British base with the capacity to accommodate 500 men. So impressed is Mr. Basma with what the British have done that he wishes to offer the facility for no fee. I hope that his offer will be seriously considered and that he will be thanked for his patriotic offer.
§ Mr. HoonI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for that offer and I am sure that it will be considered with appropriate care.
§ Mr. David Chidgey (Eastleigh)Under what precise circumstances would the Government be prepared to provide combat troops to the UN force in Sierra Leone?
§ Mr. HoonI have made it clear throughout, as has my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, that British forces would not be deployed in a combat capacity on behalf of the UN in Sierra Leone.