FOR the best part of a year Geoff Hoon has stumbled from crisis to crisis.

His decision to go on a half-term family skiing holiday as British troops were getting ready for war was a serious error of judgement.

And, whatever Lord Hutton may conclude, Mr Hoon was prone to errors of judgement in the catalogue of events which ended in the death of Dr David Kelly.

Despite these blunders of his own making, Mr Hoon has thus far escaped censure and, for now at least, has kept his job.

It is strange, therefore, that an event out of his direct control - the death of Sgt Steven Roberts during a riot in Basra last March - is the most immediate threat to Mr Hoon's ministerial career.

The death of Sgt Roberts has raised serious questions about the supply of equipment to our armed forces.

It is a disgraceful state of affairs that, ten months on, we are still awaiting the outcome of the investigation into Sgt Roberts' death.

It is wrong that Samantha Roberts is still waiting to hear the truth about how her husband died.

Mr Hoon should have insisted on a prompt investigation and has to accept responsibility for the unnecessary delay.

There can be no satisfaction in the knowledge that Mr Hoon is unlikely to survive in his job past the publication of the Hutton report next week.

The departure of Mr Hoon must not be used as a smokescreen to mask the failings in the supply of equipment to troops.

Mistakes must be acknowledged and responsibility taken for Sgt Roberts' death and the risks taken with the lives of other soldiers serving in Iraq.

The only comfort to Mrs Roberts will be that lessons learned from her husband's death will help save lives in the future.

The duty of the Government is to ensure that her wishes are met.