§ 13. Mr. Mike Gapes (Ilford, South)If he will make a statement on the contributions of British forces to security and training in Sierra Leone. [156939]
§ 17. Mr. Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock)If he will make a statement on the armed forces' deployment in Sierra Leone. [156944]
§ The Minister for the Armed Forces (Mr. John Spellar)British troops are in Sierra Leone to assist the democratically elected Government to establish effective and accountable armed forces. We have between 550 and 600 troops on the ground in Sierra Leone at any time. They constitute the United Kingdom's contribution to the international military advisory and training team, soldiers 16 providing the short-term training teams, and a brigade headquarters. The short-term training team commitment has recently been taken on by 2 Battalion The Light Infantry, which succeeds 2 Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles. As I announced in January, we will continue to provide the training teams at least until September this year.
In January we deployed a field surgical team to cover the gap in medical facilities caused by the roulement of the UN medical facilities.
§ Mr. GapesWill my hon. Friend send a message of support from the House to our soldiers and other personnel, whom I have seen doing an excellent job in Sierra Leone?
How is progress being made towards the establishment of the international military advisory training team with the Canadians and others? What proposals have the Government for the strengthening of the Sierra Leone Government's control over its territory, enabling that Government to taken more and more territory away from the Revolutionary United Front and the appalling activities of those terrorist thugs?
§ Mr. SpellarI thank my hon. Friend for his comments about the excellent job being done. It is a great advantage that a number of Members from all parts of the House have been able to visit Sierra Leone, and to see that work being undertaken. It has also given considerable encouragement to the troops.
A number of countries are already participating in the IMATT, and, again, excellent work is being undertaken for the training of the Sierra Leone army. We have been strengthening the headquarters of UNAMSIL—the United Nations mission to Sierra Leone—so that it, and the Sierra Leone army, can establish normality in the country.
§ Mr. MackinlayHow many United Kingdom forces personnel, including our special forces—police, security and intelligence services—have been killed during their deployment in Sierra Leone, or as a consequence of that deployment?
§ Mr. SpellarAccording to my recollection, one member of the Paratroop Regiment was killed in an extremely successful operation to rescue some of our forces—an operation that was widely remarked on not just in the House, but across the world.
§ Mr. Crispin Blunt (Reigate)The Minister said that the short-term training commitment would last until at least September this year. When does he expect the Sierra Leone Government to be able to achieve normality in that country, which I presume means the defeat of the RUF? Will he confirm that it is only then that our troops will be able to come home?
§ Mr. SpellarOur forces are there primarily in the training role. Obviously, it will be a matter of assessing the capability of the Sierra Leonean Army and, as the hon. Gentleman rightly identifies, success on the ground. It is a little difficult to predict a time scale on that.