§ Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to inquire into the causes of the recent riot by soldiers who attacked persons and property in the local community.
§ Mr. HayhoeThe disturbance at Tidworth on the night of 14 June 1980 involving a group of soldiers is being investigated jointly by the civil police and the special investigation branch of the Royal Military Police.
§ Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many instances there have been of groups of soldiers committing civil offences and being charged in the courts; and what is the policy with regard to military disciplinary action for the same offences.
§ Mr. HayhoeIn the last five years there has been one incident in the United Kingdom, in London in 1978, involving a group of soldiers committing civil offences and being charged in the civil courts. Where such cases are dealt 687W with by the civil courts, the Army takes no further action.
However, if on conviction a soldier is sentenced, either by a civil court or by a court martial, to imprisonment, including a suspended sentence, or by a civil court to detention or borstal, that soldier will normally be discharged from the Army.
§ Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Secretary of State for Defence what representations his Department made to the newspapers, radio and television about the recent incident in which a number of soldiers were involved in a serious disturbance.
§ Mr. HayhoeNo representations were made by my Department to the media about the recent incident at Tidworth. Inquiries of a factual nature about Army aspects were dealt with by Ministry of Defence representatives, but since the civil police led the investigation into the incident, all inquiries related to the incident itself, or its investigation, were referred to the Hampshire police.