Yvonne Collinson, who has campaigned to undercover the truth about the death of her 17-year-old son James at Deepcut Barracks, said she was “heartened” by the findings of the Commons Defence Select Committee announced today.

The year-long MPs’ inquiry said the army had “failed to grasp the nettle” in its duty of care.

It recommends a new independent complaints panel and raising the minimum age for joining up to 18, but stopped short of calling for a public inquiry.

The report demanded the independent complaints body replaces the current system, under which officers handle bullying complaints.

The panel would have retrospective powers, allowing it to examine the Deepcut cases between 1995 and 2002.

The inquiry was triggered by the deaths of four soldiers in Deepcut in Surrey, including the death by gunshot wounds of James from Perth.

His parents Jim and Yvonne always maintained that there was no reason for their son to take his own life, but a police investigation concluded no third party was involved.

Speaking from London where she had just taken possession of the two-volume report, Mrs Collinson said her first reaction was positive.

“With hindsight had James been 18 when he joined it might have been better,” she said.

“But at 16 he could not have been stopped — he was so determined.”

The most positive aspect of the recommendations, she felt, was the independent complaints body.

“They have retrospective powers to examine things that have happened in the past,” said Mrs Collinson.

“We are heartened for future recruits, it is an opportunity for the army to grasp things and and get their good reputation back.

“It is too late for our son but it may help in the future.”

Mrs Collinson was disappointed that the inquiry did not call for a public inquiry but said their campaign on that front would continue.

“Things are far from over,” she said.

Perth MP Annabelle Ewing, who represents the Collinson family, also welcomed the report but backed the call for an independent public inquiry.

“It is a damning indictment of the Ministry of Defence and its catastrophic exercising of its duty of care,” she said.

“However, it should be remembered that the official remit of the Defence Select Committee’s investigation expressly excluded looking at the individual circumstances surrounding the deaths of the four young soldiers at Deepcut.

“The sad fact is that after some three years, the Collinson family are no closer to finding out how their son James died.

“Only an independent public inquiry offers the Collinsons, and other families, the best way at getting to the truth. Surely they deserve at least that.