Iraq: Armed Forces

Nick Harvey
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British troops he expects to be assigned roles in (a) training and (b) mentoring Iraqi forces following the drawdown of forces in Basra in spring 2008.

Mr. Bob Ainsworth
In spring 2008, security responsibility in Basra will have transferred to the Iraqis and our primary focus will be on mentoring and training. The process of refining our more detailed plans is currently ongoing and for this reason we are unable to provide a breakdown in numbers.