15.1 | Civilian personnel

contribution made by our local Iraqi staff, who work for our armed forces and civilian

missions in what we know are uniquely difficult circumstances. Existing staff who

have been employed by us for more than 12 months and have completed their work

will be able to apply for a package of financial payments to aid resettlement in Iraq

or elsewhere in the region, or – in agreed circumstances – for admission to the UK.

Professional staff, including interpreters and translators, with a similar length of

service who have left our employ since the beginning of 2005 will also be able to

apply for assistance.” 548

851. Mr Miliband gave a fuller explanation in a Parliamentary Written Statement the

next day.549

852. Neither the MOD nor the FCO was able to provide precise figures for the number

of Iraqi citizens employed since 2003 and likely to be eligible under the scheme.550

853. At a Ministerial meeting to discuss LE staff on 18 September, Lord Drayson,

Minister of State for Defence Equipment and Support, conceded that the MOD “had

not done a good job on record keeping”. In discussion, Ministers commented that

further work on the issue was “unlikely to deliver much more clarity given the nature

of the records”.551

854. On 30 October, Mr Miliband gave more detail on eligibility, the package on offer

and application procedures:

“Both fairness and realism demand that we focus on that sub‑set of staff who have

had the closest and most sustained association with us, in circumstances which we

judge to be uniquely difficult. We have therefore established clear and transparent

eligibility criteria which are, as far as possible, objective in nature.

“… We need to preserve our ability to recruit and retain qualified staff … Both the

overall policy, and the design of the scheme in respect of serving staff have been

designed with this in mind.

“Finally, we have taken into account the need to ensure that any assistance …

is practical, realistic and preserves the integrity of wider immigration and asylum

policy …

“The assistance … is offered ex-gratia and goes above and beyond the confines

of what is lawfully or contractually required.” 552

855. On 19 December, Mr Tinline reported that implementation of the scheme was

starting to work. All precedent‑setting cases were referred to MND(SE) and London.

548 House of Commons, Official Report, 8 October 2007, column 23.

549 House of Commons, Official Report, 9 October 2007, column 27WS.

550 Minute [Cabinet Office junior official] to McDonald, 7 September 2007, ‘Iraq Senior Officials Group’.

551 Minutes, 18 September 2007, Ministerial Meeting on Iraq – Review of Locally Engaged Staff.

552 House of Commons, Official Report, 30 October 2007, column 30WS.

389