A senior military figure accepted yesterday there was a "question mark" over the qualifications of a major who led a boating trip in which a teenage Army cadet died.

A senior military figure accepted yesterday there was a "question mark" over the qualifications of a major who led a boating trip in which a teenage Army cadet died.

Colonel David Tobey said that a number of safety measures were being considered or implemented by the Army in the wake of the death of Kaylee McIntosh, but he agreed that there were doubts over the qualifications of Major George McCallum to carry out the exercise in which Kaylee died.

Col Tobey, of the Cadet Land Forces headquarters, was speaking at Stornoway Sheriff Court on the ninth day of a fatal accident inquiry into Kaylee's death.

Kaylee, 14, from Fyvie in Aberdeenshire, died after she was pinned under a boat on Loch Carnan, South Uist in the Outer Hebrides.

She was one of 34 cadets taking part in the training exercise on August 3, 2007.

A rescue operation was launched after the vessel carrying the schoolgirl capsized in choppy seas.

An error in a head count taken after the incident meant she was trapped under the boat for 90 minutes before it was noticed she was missing.

An investigation also found she had been wearing the wrong kind of life jacket, which kept her pinned under the boat.

Col Tobey yesterday said the Army was considering or had already implemented measures, including swimming tests for cadets, training for cadet leaders and more permanent safety staff.

He told Simon Di Rollo QC, representing Kaylee's family, there was "no doubt at all" the system failed on the day of the tragedy.

He said that, due to his Army training, Major McCallum was "competent to conduct activities", but he could not comment on suggestions that Major McCallum was not appropriately trained to be safety officer for that particular activity.

Mr Di Rollo said: "Do you accept there is at least a question mark over his qualifications?"

"Yes", replied Col Tobey.

Major McCallum yesterday admitted a series of mistakes while he was conducting the exercise.

Colonel Tobey added that the Army had found that training in the production of risk assessments was "not universally applied to the same standard", which is why it was being re-evaluated.

Other measures adopted since the accident included an end to the gifting of MoD boats and the return of all life jackets not authorised for use by cadets, he said.

Advocate Andrew Webster, representing the MoD, asked about the Army's position regarding any recommendations for improvements that arose from the inquiry.

Colonel Tobey said: "We would do our upmost to comply with all recommendations made."

The inquiry, before Sheriff Alastair MacFadyen, will reconvene at Inverness Sheriff Court on October 27.