§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the original target date for the completion of work on surge capacity was; what the reasons were for the delay; and if he will make a statement. [140983]
§ Mr. CaplinWe had planned to advise the Defence Committee of the results of the work on the need for a surge capability by the end of 2002. It took longer than anticipated to obtain all the relevant background information, but this meant that we were able to take account of the Ministry of Defence Police's experience in meeting extra commitments during Operation TELIC. The work resulted in recommendations for a modest increase in capability, including improved co-ordination and responsiveness.