The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
57.
Mr Flaherty
reported that civilians had been deployed at all grades “in a range
of
roles
including finance, administration, claims, salvage, RFA [Royal
Fleet Auxiliary],
communications,
POLAD etc”.
58.
Mr Flaherty
confirmed that the MOD Civilian Deployment Co‑ordination cell
had
been
established at PJHQ. For the first time, co‑ordinated guidance had
been made
available
to civilians deployed on Op TELIC and a pre‑deployment training
strategy
had been
established.
“There is a
great deal for the new cell to do, but an important current
priority is
constructing
a register of the names, and other relevant details, of civilians
who are
deployed.
The new cell is working to render this sort of information as
complete and
reliable as
possible.”
60.
Sir Kevin
Tebbit described 156 as “a significant number for deployed
personnel,
notwithstanding
that just over half that number are Royal Fleet
Auxiliaries”.33
He
attached
importance
to the provision of “proper support for families” and expressed the
hope that
the
co‑ordination cell would pay attention to morale, as well as
training.
61.
Sir Kevin
also requested, as a matter of urgency, advice on arrangements
for
dealing
with civilian deaths.
62.
Mr Richard
Hatfield, MOD Personnel Director, explained that any MOD civilians
and
accredited
war correspondents killed in Iraq would be subject to the same
overarching
policy as
service personnel.34
Any MOD
civilians would be returned to the UK alongside
service
personnel and would have the same treatment on arrival, including
ceremonial,
if that was
the wish of the next of kin. MOD civilians were Crown servants
operating
in direct
support of the military in a theatre of war. To offer less might
cause offence or
embarrassment
to the families. For accredited journalists, it was proposed to
confine the
policy to
flying the body home, with no ceremonial.
63.
Mr Hatfield
reassured Sir Kevin Tebbit that work was “in step” on wider
Op TELIC‑
related
civilian and service personnel issues.
64.
Sir Kevin
approved the repatriation proposals on 7 April
2003.35
33
Minute
Wilson to PJHQ – Civ Sec, 3 April 2003, ‘Deployed Civilians in
Support of Op TELIC’.
34
Minute
Hatfield to PS/PUS [MOD], 4 April 2003, ‘Deployed Civilians in
Support of Op TELIC:
Repatriation
of Civilian Dead’.
35
Minute
Wilson to Personnel Director, 7 April 2003, ‘Deployed Civilians in
Support of Op TELIC:
Repatriation
of Civilian Dead’.
254