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Armed Forces Bill

I think that there has been a slight misunderstanding. There is no dispute about the nature of the rules of engagement. Indeed, one of our proposals was to include them in the Bill, so that compliance with them would be sufficient protection against prosecution. There are certain issues in that regard, which I have raised with the hon. Member for Islwyn (Mr. Touhig), but the serious question is whether people will be prosecuted. Concern that they might have exceeded the rules of engagement could damage them psychologically and affect their ability to be operationally effective; at worst, it could risk their losing their lives."Mr. Watson: That concern is obviously not borne out by the hon. Member for Salisbury. The Coldstream Guards to whom I talked last week did not share it, either, so the hon. Member for Aldershot and I will have to disagree on this issue."