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Fatal Shootings (Iraq)

As the Solicitor-General will know, Mrs. Roberts is a constituent of mine. All our thoughts go out to her and her family at what has obviously been an incredibly distressing time. I welcome the Solicitor-General’s statement, particularly his saying that there will be no prosecution of the soldiers involved. As my hon. Friend the Member for Beaconsfield (Mr. Grieve) said, this was clearly a tragic series of events, involving soldiers working in incredibly difficult circumstances. I also welcome the concern expressed about the length of time taken to resolve this situation, which can only have added to the distress experienced by Mrs. Roberts and the rest of Sergeant Roberts’ family. The fact is that the main cause of Sergeant Roberts’ death was the Government’s insufficient preparation for the war in Iraq and the inadequacy of the kit. Tragically, Sergeant Roberts raised this issue himself in Iraq before he died. His wife has campaigned bravely on it, and I pay tribute to the courage that she has shown in that regard since her husband’s death. She has acted with great dignity and she should be commended for that. I hope that, as a fitting tribute to Sergeant Roberts and the campaign fought by Mrs. Roberts, the Ministry of Defence will take note of the lessons to be learned and ensure that no other soldier dies, as Sergeant Roberts tragically died, because of inadequate kit.