The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
“We put
that in place relatively quickly.
“Now that
did not immediately speed up the Boards of Inquiry, because
some
of them
were quite complicated.
“We have
already alluded to a shortage of military police investigators ...
but the
emphasis –
because I think this is what the grievance was – was lack of
information.
The
families felt they were excluded from the process.
“I
personally believe, once we put ... in place ... a regular briefing
for families about
where their
particular Board of Inquiry had got to, they were less exercised
...”79
125.
Lt Gen Palmer
also advised that all the “quick wins” identified in the BOI
study
were now in
place; work continued to establish a robust disclosure policy and
devise a
mechanism
to allow local commanders to initiate an immediate investigation in
urgent
and
exceptional cases.
126.
The target
timeline for a BOI was tightened in June 2004, to allow 14 weeks
from
the
incident to the formal release of the completed BOI report to the
next of kin.80
That
timeline
comprised eight weeks for the production of the BOI report and six
weeks for
advisers
and senior officers to comment and complete it.
127.
The BOI
process was also amended at that time to include the production
of
additional
progress reports for the next of kin.
128.
The steps
taken by the MOD to improve communication with and support for
next
of kin and
bereaved families, including the review of bereavement procedures
and the
review of
training for personnel involved in bereavement support, are
described later in
this
Section.
129.
During a
meeting with Mr Hoon on 28 April 2004, a number of bereaved
families
expressed a
lack of confidence in the Services’ investigative
processes.81
130.
In response to
those concerns, ACM Bagnall commissioned a review of
the
timeliness
and effectiveness of Service Police investigations.82
131.
The review,
which reported in October, concluded that:
•
There were
no major issues that were not already being
considered.
•
There was
no evidence that the quality of Service Police investigations
was
inadequate.
79
Public
hearing, 21 July 2010, pages 55‑56.
80
Minute
DCDS(Pers) to PS/SoS [MOD], 17 July 2006, ‘BOI Timelines – a
Proposal for Extension’.
81
Minute
DCDS(Pers) to APS/SofS [MOD], 30 June 2004, ‘Boards of Inquiry –
Improvements in Process’.
82
Report
Loudon, 12 October
2004, ‘Review of Service Police Investigations on
Operations’.
100