§ Mr. WatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will reverse the decision to withdraw 33 Field Hospital from the Gulf. [110180]
§ Mr. IngramThe personnel from 33 Field Hospital returned to the United Kingdom at the beginning of April. This was later than planned to enable contingency medical cover early in the course of operations should it be required. Fortunately it was not. The cover provided by two remaining UK field hospitals, currently the 34 Field Hospital and 202 Field Hospital (V), along with the medical facilities of coalition partners, is sufficient for the foreseeable future. There is therefore no plan to redeploy 33 Field Hospital.