The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
remains a
dangerous place, but the FCO has taken measures to minimise the
risks
to its
staff, and will keep those measures under constant review. This is
a volunteer
only
posting.
…
“Extensions
beyond 12 months are rare and only granted if there are
compelling
operational
reasons.” 452
687.
Staff were not
permitted to bid for consecutive jobs in Iraq and/or
Afghanistan
with a
combined duration of over 12 months “while these posts are at a
security level
warranting
close protection teams and decompression breaks”.
688.
The 2008 terms
and conditions also stated that the length and frequency
of
decompression
breaks were linked to the security situation and could change
during a
posting.
The interval between decompression breaks was set at between six
and seven
weeks. In
special circumstances, staff could seek authority to spend eight
weeks at post
without a
break.
689.
The Inquiry
received a range of views on the merits of different
models.
690.
Mr MacKiggan,
Head of the Basra PRT from 2008 to 2009, told the
Inquiry:
“I think
nine to 12 months should be the norm, perhaps even the minimum,
because
it takes
time to develop relationships … It is partly relationships with …
locals …
It is also
about relationships between different parts of
government.” 453
691.
Mr Tansley
endorsed the MOD model:
“Comparing
terms and conditions of service between the FCO and the
political
advisers
who were attached to MND(South East), I would have
preferred
perhaps an
arrangement that the POLADs had, which I thought was more
effective
than what
the FCO was doing, both in terms of the level on health and
safety
reasons,
what they could and could not do, in terms of how often they had
their
decompression
breaks.” 454
692.
All three
working groups at the Inquiry’s civilian outreach event debated
the
merits of
different tour lengths, including the impact on civilian‑military
relations,
business
continuity, relationships with external partners and the impact on
individuals
and their
families.
693.
Participants
who had served in Iraq during the CPA period commented
that
12 months
was the maximum time during which personnel could remain
effective.
Six weeks
on and two off (6+2) was seen as an effective model. Tours were
complicated
452
Paper
[unattributed], January 2008, ‘Terms, Conditions and Allowances in
Iraq’.
453
Public
hearing, 7 January 2010, page 51.
454
Private
hearing, 22 June 2010, page 71.
362