The Minister for the Armed Forces (Mr Mark Francois)
I would like to update the House on the progress that the Government have made in implementing the recommendations made in the report of the Baha Mousa inquiry, chaired by the right hon. Sir William Gage, which was published on 8 September 2011.
What happened to Baha Mousa was shameful, and undermined the excellent work of so many others. In his report, the chairman made 73 recommendations. In his statement to Parliament that day, Official Report, column 571, the then Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), accepted all recommendations in principle with one exception relating to tactical questioning.
I am pleased to announce that the Ministry of Defence has now taken action to consider and address all the accepted recommendations in the report. Many of them proposed amendments to departmental policy, standard operating procedures and oversight, while others focused on training; all personnel who undertake detainee handling now have the skills and experience to manage them appropriately. By strengthening all aspects of the detainee handling process we have returned the rigour and discipline that is synonymous with the high standards rightly expected by our armed forces.
As envisaged in recommendation 44 of the inquiry’s report, the Department has given careful consideration to the possibility of an independent inspection of the UK’s Afghan detention facilities by Her Majesty’s chief inspector of prisons. However, UK detention facilities in Afghanistan continue to be inspected by the Provost Marshal (Army) every six months, and annually by the Army Inspector; they are also visited regularly by the International Committee of the Red Cross to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law. On balance, we believe that this triple inspection regime is already fit for purpose and does not require further amendment.