§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Commander-in-Chief of the British military forces based in Cyprus on incidents involving British military personnel and Greek Cypriot personnel. [22884]
§ Mr. SoamesMatters of discipline are taken very seriously by Ministers and by the services. Regular meetings take place to monitor standards of discipline and ensure that they are enforced. All service personnel serve under strictly enforced disciplinary regulations. British forces serving in Cyprus are subject to the same very high disciplinary standards.
§ Mr. HansonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment he has made of whether the Army's disciplinary procedures were followed in relation to the rifleman from the 1 Battalion, the Royal Green Jackets, who assaulted Mr. Kevin Remmer, in Ayia Napa in August 1994; [24077]
(2) what action was taken by the commanding officer of 1 Battalion, the Royal Green Jackets, against a rifleman of that battalion who allegedly assaulted Mr. Kevin Remmer in August 1994 in Ayia Napa, Cyprus. [24073]
§ Mr. SoamesWhere it is alleged that service men have committed offences under Cypriot law within the Republic of Cyprus, jurisdiction lies entirely with the Cypriot authorities under the terms of the treaty concerning the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus, Cm 1252 or 1960.
At the time of the assault on Miss Jensen the rifleman had not been found guilty of any charges resulting from the earlier incident and was bailed by the Cypriot authorities to appear in court at a later date. As the civil authorities found no reason to hold the accused soldier in custody before the matter came to court, there appeared to be no justification for the commanding officer to restrict the soldier's movements. It is a matter of deep regret that the soldier was later involved in the assault on Miss Jensen. However, neither the Cypriot courts nor the commanding officer could have expected such a development.