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Iraq: Fatal Shootings of Sergeant Steven Roberts and Zaher Zaher

My Lords, I share with all who have spoken so far the horror at the delays that have been caused. We have heard a detailed explanation of those delays from the noble and learned Lord the Attorney-General. There is a very adverse effect on the families of the soldiers, the soldiers themselves, the families of both of those killed and indeed on general Army morale when these things go on for so long. I therefore welcome the assurances which the noble and learned Lord has given us that the Ministry of Defence is putting in new resources. However, he is slightly vague on what those changes are. I am pleased to see that the noble Lord, Lord Drayson, is in his place, because I assume that in order to put together these new extra requirements there was a joint study of some sort between the two departments. I think it would be useful if your Lordships could see in the Library of the House a copy of that review along with the assurances that the noble and learned Lord the Attorney-General has had from the Ministry of Defence. I draw attention to the issue of how the Royal Military Police are to relate to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary. This is a familiar refrain, in that we talked about it last week in the context of the Blake review into the Deepcut inquiry. Recommendation 24 of that review suggested that the RMP should be formally brought under the HMIC. Does the noble and learned Lord the Attorney-General believe that that should be done and done forthwith? Could he also explain what a ““thematic”” inspection is? It is not a term that I understand. I would like a slightly more detailed assurance from the noble and learned Lord. I realise he cannot spell it out today, but in some way we need to know what the Ministry of Defence has told him it is going to do, so that we may be assured that it does it.