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Army Barracks (Deaths)

: That is an important point. It is not only the armed forces that have no credit as a result of Deepcut; neither do the police. I welcome the fact that a new protocol allows the police to have primacy in investigating such deaths. That is an important move. Part of the problem with Deepcut was the initial investigation into the four deaths. When the families subsequently asked quite reasonable questions, they were blocked. That led to an air of suspicion. If I was in their position, I would have come to the same conclusion that they did. I have read the Blake report, and it is a good piece of work. My hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood knows that I do not support another inquiry into the Deepcut deaths. The Blake report exposed the details of four very different cases. We should grasp its recommendations, especially that on independent oversight. Putting in place an independent commissioner or ombudsman would be a monument to the campaigning work of Deepcut and Beyond, and a fitting tribute to the four who died. One issue that has not received much attention is the role of the media. Blake is critical of how the media reported the deaths, especially in the early stages. It is sad that certain newspapers have not held up their hands and come clean, admitting that they made mistakes. Those mistakes not only led to confusion but hurt the families of those who died. To be fair, Blake pulls no punches in his criticism of one national newspaper. The British armed forces have the opportunity to regain their reputation. People should not be afraid. Other armed forces around the world, forces with which our armed forces regularly train and go to war, have independent oversight. Such oversight would ensure confidence among the young men and women who join the armed forces, and their families, that problems and complaints will be independently investigated. That will improve the situation. The same arguments were put forward several years ago before we had the independent police complaints commission. Speak now to any chief constable, and they will say that it has improved the way they operate; it has not been a hindrance but has improved how they investigate and treat their recruits, and how they interact with the public. Finally, I turn to the evidence given to the Armed Forces Bill Committee by the Deepcut and Beyond families. It headed its evidence ““openness and transparency””. That is what is needed in the British armed forces today. If during the passage of the Armed Forces Bill an ombudsman or commissioner is put in place, along with openness and transparency in respect of all information, that will go a long way towards satisfying some of the calls that there have rightly been, and it will be a fitting tribute to the sterling campaigning work of the Deepcut and Beyond families.