§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many(a) boards of inquiry, (b) disciplinary inquiries and (c) courts martial have taken place following the occurrence of heat-induced injuries or fatalities; and in how many cases disciplinary action was taken.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonAs regards boards of inquiry and disciplinary inquiries, the information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost and effort. As regards courts martial, I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Member for Romford (Mr. Neubert) on 15 January 1990,Official Report, column 121. Since then one court martial has taken place following a case of heat induced injury.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will detail the action taken by him in the past two years to reduce the number of casualties from heat injury in the forces.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonTwo defence council instructions have been issued: the first in December 1988, as a reminder of the risks of heat stress, heat exhaustion, heat stroke and similar conditions; and the second last month, to provide detailed guidance on the prediction, prevention and treatment of such conditions. These have been disseminated throughout the three services and are an important means of maintaining and improving awareness of the risks of heat injury. In addition, as far as training is concerned, the content of courses is kept under review and" where appropriate, revised. Thus, for example, changes to 199W the Army's combat fitness test instructions to enable commanding officers to exercise discretion over dress requirements in certain climatic conditions, as well as the planned increase in the time allowed for completion of the test, should reduce the risk of heat stress and other injuries.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the figures relating to episodes of injury or death attributable to excessive heat or insulation within the services for 1989.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe information requested is not yet available for 1989. It will be included in the services annual health tables which are published each summer.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will initiate an independent review of the heat-related injuries and deaths that occurred between 1978 and 1988 with a view to preventing such injuries in the future.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonNo. All deaths from other than natural causes are investigated as a matter of course to consider whether such incidents could have been avoided.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the changes made in naval training following the heat-related injury to Lieutenant Simon Rowland.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonFollowing the injury to Lieutenant Simon Rowland, a number of new safety measures for the RN aircrew survival course have been introduced. Cellphones and radios have been purchased for use by staff on the course, and casualty evacuation procedures have been reviewed. First aid training is now being given to all instructors and the medical fitness category for the course has been reviewed. The format of the "forced march" or "battle run" element of the aircrew survival course has also been reviewed and the length of this element has been shortened.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to order an automatic court martial or disciplinary inquiry with a published report into every case of heat-related injury or death.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonNo. In any such case it is the responsibility of the relevant service authority to determine what action would be appropriate, which will depend on the particular circumstances of the case.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will place in the Library(a) the defence council instruction issued on 23 December 1988 regarding the prevention of heat stroke and exhaustion and (b) the single service instructions that are referred to in the defence council instruction;
(2) if he will place in the Library the existing regulations referred to in the letter of 6 November 1989 from the Under-Secretary of State to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South regarding the prediction, prevention and treatment of heat injury; whether these regulations are given to all training instructors; and whether they were given to Lieutenant Gordon Smith late of the RN survival equipment school;
(3) if he will place in the Library the separate instructions issued to commanding officers requiring them to take appropriate preventive measures that are referred to in the letter of 29 June 1988 about heat injuries from the Under-Secretary of State to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South.
200W
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonAlthough defence council instructions are internal management documents not normally intended for publication outside the Ministry of Defence and the services, I am arranging, exceptionally, for the instruction referred to by the right hon. Member to be placed in the Library. However, I do not consider the public interest would be served by the more general publication of internal instructions and regulations.
The practice regarding giving copies of regulations to individual instructors varies, the main consideration being that they should be readily available in a suitable form and that they should be read and understood by all concerned. All instructors in the Royal Navy have been given copies of the defence council instructions issued in December 1988, including Lieutenant Gordon Smith while he was an instructor at the RN survival equipment school.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish in theOfficial Report details of the clothing worn by Lieutenant Simon Rowland and his fellow trainees during the training exercise in the New Forest; and what was the temperature during each day of the exercise.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonFor the practical phase of the survival course Lt Rowland and his fellow trainees were wearing flying overalls, underpants, socks and boots. No headgear was worn.
The temperature each day in the area during the practical phase of the course carried out in the New Forest is shown in the chart:
Ambient air temperatures for period 22–25 July 1989—local limes Date 0900 1200 1500 1800 22 July 25C 30C 32C 27C 23 July 22C 28C 31C 29C 24 July 23C 29C 30C 28C 25 July 21C 25C 27C 26C Source: Met Office, Southampton Airport.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set up a study of the distribution of the 663 heat injuries between 1978 and 1988 to see if there are any instances of commanding officers having a number of injuries to men training under their command significantly greater than that likely to have occurred by chance.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonNo. The information necessary to conduct such a study is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what independent medical advice he has received on the avoidability of heat injury or death.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonNone. I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to him on 15 January 1990,Official Report, column 121.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence when it was decided to prepare the more detailed defence council instruction, referred to in the letter of 6 November 1989 from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South; what external independent advice has been sought on the content; when it will be finalised; to whom it will be circulated; if he will place a copy in the Library; and if he will make a statement.
201W
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonIt was decided in May 1989 to issue a defence council instruction (DCI) which was to bring together the guidance already available in various instructions and publications. The new DCI covers all aspects of the prediction, prevention and treatment of heat injury. External advice was not sought as there was sufficient informed opinion within the services.
The DCI was issued on 23 February 1990 and will be seen by all service personnel and appropriate civilian organisations within the MOD.
Although DCIs are internal management documents I am arranging, exceptionally, for this instruction to be placed in the Library of the House.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether a training instructor in the armed forces has ever been charged for failing in his duty to observe a defence council instruction relating to the prediction, prevention and treatment of heat injury;
(2) whether a training instructor in the armed forces has ever been charged for failing in his duty to observe the training regulations relating to the prediction, prevention and treatment of heat injury.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonNot over the last 10 years for which records are available.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the other branches of the forces intend to modify their training programmes to match the changes made by the Royal Navy following the heat-related injury to Lieutenant Simon Rowland.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonRelevant training practices in the other services are being examined to establish whether any of the changes being introduced by the Royal Navy are applicable.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether training instructors have a duty to observe the training regulations relating to the prediction, prevention and treatment of heat injury; and if it is an offence to disregard them.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonIf a training regulation imposes a duty on a training instructor which he fails to carry out or carries out negligently, he can be charged with an offence under the relevant service discipline Act.