§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the court martial into the conduct of Colonel Tim Collins last met; when any written statement announcing the verdict was issued; what contacts there were between his Department and(a) the BBC and (b) journalists concerning the matter prior to the issue of the statement; and what the policy of his Department's press office was if asked to confirm or deny the substance of the matter (i) prior to Monday 1 September and (ii) on Monday 1 September. [128816]
§ Mr. IngramColonel Tim Collins was not the subject of a court martial. He was the subject of an internal investigation into his conduct during Operation TELIC, following allegations made against him. This investigation has now been completed and Colonel Collins has been informed that no formal disciplinary or administrative action would be taken against him.
In response to a specific media inquiry on 20 May naming Colonel Collins and claiming that he was subject to an investigation, the press office confirmed that an investigation was being conducted. Other than confirming this, the press office offered no further comment while the investigation continued. On 29 August, however, once the investigation had finished and Colonel Collins had been informed of the outcome, the press office were advised that, in response to inquiries, they could confirm that the investigations had concluded and that no formal action would be taken. Our records indicate that the first inquiries from the press were not received until 1 September.
The Ministry of Defence did not issue a written statement announcing either the commencement or conclusion of the investigation.