“I spoke earlier today with Mr David Masters, HM Coroner for Wiltshire and Swindon, to assure him of my support as changes come into force from April which will mean that military casualties from Iraq and Afghanistan will be re-patriated to RAF Lyneham,” said James Gray MP, speaking from Westminster this evening.

“My main concern is that our Coroner’s office in Wiltshire should have the necessary funds and resources in the event of a great many military inquests, so that there are not the kind of long delays we have seen in recent months experienced by Coroners’ offices elsewhere.”

“Latest figures I have seen suggest that 130 personnel have been killed in action since military operations began in 2003, but that inquests are still to be held into more than a third of them. This means that around 50 families have not discovered the details of how their relatives died, which is of course very distressing for them. I know that staff at the Oxfordshire Coroner’s office, which currently handles the majority of military deaths because bodies are flown back to RAF Brize Norton, has had a huge backlog to cope with.”

“I am keen, therefore, to ensure that the Coroners working in my constituency have the resources they need. I will be keeping in close touch both with Mr Masters and his staff, and with the MOD to ensure that this happens.”