§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to announce the appointment of an independent assessor of military complaints procedures.
§ Sir Patrick MayhewI am pleased to announce that I have appointed Mr. David Hewitt as independent assessor of military complaints procedures. Mr. Hewitt is a respected legal figure in Northern Ireland and will bring considerable experience to the post. The main role of the assessor will he to provide an independent audit of the operation of procedures for handling non-criminal complaints against HM forces. His terms of reference are set out in section 60 and schedule 6 of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991. This appointment reaffirms the Government's commitment to maintaining public confidence in the attainment of the high standards of behaviour required from the security forces.Mr. Hewitt will take up his duties early in the new year.