A committee of MPs has launched a wide-ranging condemnation of the army's failure to ensure the welfare of its trainees.

A hard hitting report from the Commons defence select committee condemned failings across a range of areas.

And the MPs called on the Ministry of Defence to do more to make "duty of care" a key issue for all three branches of the services.

In the wake of the four deaths at the Surrey Deepcut barracks between 1995 and 2002, the army came in for particular criticism.

But the committee was "not persuaded at this time" of the need for a public inquiry into the Deepcut deaths.

Instead, the MPs suggested that the MoD should consider raising the minimum age for recruits from 16 to 18.

There was also a demand for an independent complaints system to be established, and better guidance and procedures for those dealing with young recruits.

The report was critical of the MoD's policy of distinguishing between its moral and legal duties.

"We are concerned that, by relying on a narrowly legal argument, MoD is not accepting the appropriate responsibility for under 18-year-olds in its care," said the report.

Bullying

The MPs expressed deep concern about the failure to recognise the full extent of bullying in the armed forces.

"We conclude that bullying exists in the armed forces and that it is under-reported," they said.

The report added that the "assertion that the armed forces do not tolerate bullying does not sit well with the levels of bullying MoD acknowledge".

To tackle the problem, the committee said that a "military ombudsman" should be established to deal with complaints.

Such a move would not be an obstacle to the chain of command, it said.

New recruits

The report said the MoD should "examine the potential impact of raising the recruitment age for all three services to 18".

And anyone under 18 should only be placed in training environments and accommodation "suitable for their age".

The MPs also said there was "inconsistency" in the ministry's approach to criminal record checks for those supervising recruits and trainees.

In addition, the lack of guidance for treating those under 18 was a "serious failing".

"We recommend that the armed forces devise a programme of improvements that is affordable, reviewable and consistent with the high priority the issue merits," added the report.

The committee was "impressed" by the Navy's system for tracking and grading staff deemed at risk, and called for best practice to be shared between the services.

The Army's approach of "empowered officers" who can be approached by trainees with problems was also criticised.

MPs said they were "not convinced" the scheme was working, saying that recruits could be deterred from talking about problems with officers.

They also warned that there was no contingency plan to replace the "empowered officer" scheme if it fails.

Accommodation

Standards of accommodation for recruits also came under fire in the wide-ranging report.

"Poor accommodation and recreational facilities create a depressing environment and add to feelings of alienation and isolation among recruits and trainees," said the report.

"Poor quality facilities may also increase the prevalence of vandalism and other anti-social behaviour that can undermine morale.

"We expect MoD to resolve the planning issues that have blighted infrastructure improvements as a matter of urgency."

More to do

Members of the committee issued a damning criticism of the army's overall approach to the Deepcut deaths.

They recognised that some areas had improved over recent years, but said there was "still more to be done".

"The Army has failed to recognise that it is not sufficient simply to put structures in place. What matters is that they work," said the report.

"In addition, we are concerned that the advances that have been made may stagnate or be reversed once the spotlight moves away from welfare issues.

"We therefore seek assurance from MoD that duty of care will remain a primary area of its work."

Liberal Democrat defence spokesman Paul Keetch backed calls for establish an independent military complaints commission.

But he said it was "unfortunate" that the committee had not backed a full independent inquiry into the events at Deepcut.

"Raising the age of recruitment to 18 will not deal with the issues of bullying and harassment, as they can occur at any age," Keetch added.