§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints were made in each of the past two years against members of the British forces serving in Cyprus.
§ Mr. SoamesComplaints against members of British forces in Cyprus can be made to a number of agencies. The information requested is not therefore held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many serving members of the British forces in Cyprus have been sent home to the United Kingdom following disciplinary procedures in each of the past two years.
§ Mr. SoamesThis information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the number of disciplinary cases heard against members of the British forces in Cyprus, the number upheld, the nature of those complaints and the consequent sentence, for each of the past two years.
§ Mr. SoamesInformation about the number of disciplinary cases heard against members of the British forces in Cyprus is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. However, central records are held of courts martial and of cases heard in Cypriot civil courts or the sovereign base area court where, if found guilty, service personnel may receive a penal sentence. A breakdown of these cases over the last two years is as follows:
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Number Charge Finding/sentence 1993 1 Unauthorised phone calls Guilty - reduced in rank 1 Attempted arson/arson Guilty - three-year custodial sentence and dismissed from HM Forces 1 Common assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm (OABH) Guilty - eight months' detention 4 Assault OABH All Guilty -six months' detention -nine months' detention -Reduced in rank and stoppages of pay £400 -nine months' detention and stoppages of pay £250
Number Charge Finding/sentence 1 Obtaining property by deception, avoiding liability by deception forgery Not Guilty 1 Theft Guilty - 56 days' detention and reduced in rank 1994 1 Fraud Guilty - 4 months' imprisonment 1 Criminal damage Guilty - eight months' imprisonment 1 Improperly entering the female accommodation Guilty - Reduced in rank 1 False accounting Guilty - Reduced in rank, six months detention and dismissed from HM forces 1 Common assault and assault OABH Guilty - 112 days' detention and stoppages of pay £300 3 Drink-related driving offences All Guilty - Fined £150-Fined £600-Fined £500 2 Disobedience to standing orders Guilty - 28 days' detention 1 Assault OABH Guilty - seven months' detention and stoppages of pay £250 1 Assault OABH Not guilty 1 Failing to provide a specimen of breath after an accident Not guilty 1 Theft Guilty - Fined £400 2 Absenće without leave Both guilty - 112 days' detention - five months' detention 1 Wounding Guilty - Fined £2000 1 Theft, false instrument and forgery Guilty - six months' detention and stoppages of pay £1,448 90p 1 Common assault and drunkenness Guilty - Reduced in rank Note:
Figures exclude cases heard in Cyprus but where the offence was committed elsewhere.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the number and nature of complaints made in each of the past two years against members of the British forces in Cyprus; and how many recorded cases there have been of assualt, criminal damage, rape, attempted rape, grievous bodily harm and actual bodily harm.
§ Mr. SoamesInformation about the number and nature of complaints against members of the British forces in Cyprus is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, central records are held of courts martial and of cases heard by a civilian court or the sovereign base area court where, if found guilty, service personnel may receive a penal sentence. Details of cases in the categories requested which have been heard in the last years are as follows:
938W
1993 1994 Criminal damage — 1 Common assault and drunkeness — 1 Common assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm 1 1
1993 1994 Assault occasioning actual bodily harm 4 12 Grievous bodily harm — — Rape — — Attempted rape — — Figures exclude cases where the court martial was held in Cyprus but the offence was committed elsewhere.
Note:
1 In one of these cases the verdict was not guilty.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the number and rank of those members of the British forces stationed in Cyprus who have been court martialled either while on the island or in the United Kingdom in each of the past two years.
§ Mr. SoamesThe information requested is as follows:
1993 1994 (to date) 1 Sergeant 1 Lieutenant1 1 Corporal 1 Flying officer 2 Senior aircraftmen 1 Master air load master 5 Private soldiers 1 Staff sergeant 4 Corporals2 1 Lance-corporal 1 Senior aircraftmen 7 Private soldiers Figures exclude cases where the court martial was held in Cyprus but the offence was committed elsewhere.
Note:
1 Found not guilty.
2 One of the corporals found not guilty.