§ Mr. David Youngasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Armed Forces have died in exercises in each of the last 10 years; whether he will undertake an investigation to determine whether the training is unnecessarily hazardous; and what steps are taken to prevent unnecessary loss of life.
§ Mr. HayhoeThe following table shows the numbers of deaths of members of the Regular Armed Forces which were attributable to accidents—excluding flying accidents—occurring during the course of trainine:
1970 14 1971 20 1972 12 1973 16 1974 9 1975 16 1976 11 1977 10 1978 24 1979 21 These include deaths which occurred during exercises, but figures relating solely to exercises are not separately identifiable. If the Armed Forces are to perform their roles effectively, whether in peace or war, they must undertake realistic training and because of the 71W nature of these roles this often involves some degree of risk. However, such training is limited to what is strictly essential and is also subject to stringent safety rules. In the event of a serious accident a thorough investigation is carried out and if there are lessons to be drawn the necessary action will be taken. Accordingly, I do not consider that there is any need for a more general investigation.