Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire) (Conservative): I tend to agree with the general argument that the hon. Gentleman is making but I am not certain that I agree with some of the hyperbole about sticking up for our armed forces families, which every single Member of the House does whichever side of this argument they may be on. I am not sure that is a sound argument. Does he agree with his right hon. Friend the former Secretary of State for Defence? His point is that people like Mr Masters in Wiltshire and, indeed, the Oxfordshire coroner are great experts in military inquests and that that has been fine while the bodies have been coming back through Lyneham and/or Brize Norton but that if we are to spread out the inquests across England and the rest of Britain as we hope to do, we need to make sure that that degree of expertise is enjoyed by all the coroners across the area. That is why we need better training and a chief coroner.

Michael Dugher (Barnsley East) (Lab): The hon. Gentleman is right and he makes a powerful case for our argument.

Source: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm111025/debtext/111025-0003.htm#11102562000749