MoD police to get wider powers

The British military comes under the scrutiny of parliament

The Ministry of Defence police (MDP) are to get wider powers to tackle violent criminals in the community, the government has announced.

Armed Forces Minister John Spellar said the 3,500-strong force, which is currently limited to policing MOD land and property, will be given wider powers of jurisdiction.

I believe the majority of women recognise that on the real battlefield they would face real problems of endurance

Robert Key

Mr Spellar said that the current situation could "inhibit the officer from assisting effectively because he knows that his actions may subsequently be challenged."

The powers will be available when the "timely assistance" of a civilian police officer was unlikely.

The Bill also broadened the ability of MDP officers to respond to requests for help from local police and allowed them to enter into "standing arrangements" to help police areas in the vicinity of defence bases.

Mr Spellar said new legislation applying to all three services could be in place by 2005/6.

Broad welcome

The move was given a broad welcome by Tory defence spokesman Robert Key.

But he said his party would "wish to examine in depth the interface between the Ministry of Defence police, the Home Office police forces and the military police and how these proposals will affect those relationships".

One area that Mr Key said his party had most difficulty with was the proposal to give the defence secretary power to make orders applying changes in civilian criminal justice legislation to the armed forces.

He said: "We have considerable doubts about the wisdom of the House giving general enabling powers to any secretary of state."

Query over women in combat

Mr Key also questioned the merit of using women in combat situation.

"I believe the majority of women recognise that on the real battlefield they would face real problems of endurance.

"What is the reaction of the men when their brave female colleague simply cannot physically carry the battlefield load in the front line of the infantry?

"What is the reaction of the men when their female comrade is wounded or just utterly exhausted?"

He added that he did not believe it was the role of politicians to tell the "the military to be politically correct".

"That is what this (Armed Forces) Bill is in danger of doing," he said.

But a Tory bid to stop the Bill receiving its second reading failed.

Liberal Democrat defence spokesman Paul Keetch said that he welcomed the greater involvement of the MDP in combating crime.

Although he said the MDP should not be used as an "auxiliary police force" taking over duties from the local police.