The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
the Reserve
for Tranche 2 of the hardened accommodation
programme.652
Tranche 2
comprised a
hardened medical facility and three hardened accommodation
blocks,
housing a
total of 900 personnel.
1238.
Mr Gibson
wrote that force level planning for spring 2008 suggested there
would
be 2,830 UK
military personnel, along with supporting civilians, contractors
and other
“multi‑national
military elements”, bringing the total number of personnel at Basra
Air
Station to
5,321. A further 745 UK military personnel would be based at the
Kuwait
support
facility.
1239.
To avoid “a
situation where we failed to provide protection for personnel
should
UK forces
remain at the COB longer than we might originally have
anticipated”, PJHQ’s
work
assumed an “enduring military force of around 2,500”.
1240.
Mr Gibson
recommended that Mr Browne should also seek £30m of
the
£32m
currently carried at risk for the first tranche and the subject of
Mr Browne and
Mr Burnham’s
correspondence in September. The £2m “delta” reflected
Treasury
uncertainty
that an element of the dining facility protection was
required.
1241.
Officials in
Mr Browne’s Private Office replied on 12 December,
stating
that
Mr Browne agreed with Mr Gibson’s proposal and had
written to Mr Burnham
1242.
The reply also
highlighted that Sir Bill Jeffrey had written to
Mr Browne on
11 December
confirming his view that to proceed with Tranche 2 was
“justifiable” but the
position
should be considered in the New Year, with the MOD ready to “scale
the plans
down” if it
seemed “right to do so”.
1243.
On 18
December, Mr Burnham agreed to fund both elements of the
request but
wrote:
“We will,
however, want to think together about the balance of investment
decisions
to be taken
on this project before I can commit to further funding … We will
need
to be
convinced that the long construction time … is coherent with the UK
strategic
timeline
for troop levels in Iraq, and the total numbers of people … that
will be based
at the COB
and require protection.”654
652
Minute
Gibson to PS/SofS [MOD], 7 December 2007, ‘Tier 3 – Update
Submission for Secretary of
State’.
653
Minute
APS/Secretary of State [MOD] to DCS(RES) PJHQ, 12 December 2007,
‘Tier 3 – Update
Submission
for Secretary of State’.
654
Letter
Burnham to Browne, 18 December 2007, [untitled].
210