§ Mr. O'HaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures have been taken by the British military authorities in Cyprus to control the behaviour of British military personnel towards the local population when off duty. [9392]
§ Mr. SoamesBritish Forces Cyprus attaches great importance to the maintenance of the very good existing relations with the local population. With this in mind, all service personnel and their dependents are briefed on the expected standards of conduct on arrival in Cyprus. The message is reiterated in routine and other orders and the Commander, British Forces Cyprus, regularly reminds his 577W subordinate commanders that they have a responsibility to ensure that service personnel behave in an exemplary manner both on and off duty.
This is reinforced by a number of selective restrictions which exclude service men from potential trouble spots. The tourist strips in Limassol and Larnaca are subject to a I am curfew for service personnel, and individual premises elsewhere may be placed out of bounds. In addition, the Ayia Napa area remains out of bounds in the wake of the death of Louise Jensen in September 1994. The penalties for the infringement of these rules range from a fine to the sending home of the individual concerned to the UK.
Many disturbances in Cyprus involving groups of local youths are unconnected with the British military presence, with service personnel occasionally suffering unprovoked attacks. The restrictions applied are, therefore, as much to protect UK military personnel as for other reasons. Analysis shows that British Forces Cyprus has a good record for discipline, with a relatively small number of serious disciplinary incidents.