---

Afghanistan

Last month, Members attended a briefing of senior Army officers led by General Sir Richard Dannatt, at which the Secretary of State for Defence was present. One of the problems they identified was the lack of equipment for training purposes immediately before deployment. Clearly, there is a danger when servicemen suddenly find themselves using new equipment in theatre. What are the Government doing to address that problem that the Army has identified, and can they give us any idea of the time scale in which it will be dealt with?