HC Deb 18 September 2003 vol 410 cc942-3W
Bob Russell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with(a) the Secretary of State for Defence and (b) the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth

Affairs on allowing British police officers to volunteer to go to Iraq to help train the Iraqi Police Force; and if he will make a statement. [129326]

Ms Blears

I have agreed to a request from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to ask the Association of Chief Police Officers to seek up to 200 volunteers to create a pool of United Kingdom police officers for potential deployment to Iraq to assist in the reform of the Iraqi Police Service. The pool is intended to sustain the deployment of up to 100 United Kingdom officers at any one time.

Officers will be deployed only when conditions are right. The security position will be reviewed regularly.