Contributions
589 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (Third sitting)The right hon. Member still has a lot of energy in him.26 Mar 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (Third sitting)Sorry, the right hon. Member. I do apologise; there is no requirement to retire yet.26 Mar 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (Third sitting)The requirements are different for SLA and family accommodation, but we both want the same thing: the best accommodation, whether for a family or a single person living on base,…26 Mar 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (Third sitting)Perhaps that is why we are not taking it forward now. Furthermore, the Ministry of Defence heavily subsidises rents. There have been suggestions that the Defence Housing Service…26 Mar 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (Third sitting)There is some confusion here. The Minister for the Armed Forces does not deal with the housing, the people or the welfare; he deals with the operation and policy output. There is…26 Mar 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (First sitting)I agree with the premise of the hon. Member’s point. Where I disagree is in how local authorities may view that and how it may restrict their ability to deliver services across…24 Mar 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (First sitting)I absolutely agree, and I am one of the biggest champions for shouting about the postcode lottery in the delivery of the covenant. Putting that in the Bill would not change it. It…24 Mar 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (First sitting)I thank the right hon. Member for Rayleigh and Wickford and the hon. Members for Exmouth and Exeter East, for Solihull West and Shirley, and for South Northamptonshire, for…24 Mar 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (First sitting)While I may not have served in local government, I absolutely acknowledge that we drown in bureaucracy across the UK. I would say that, compared with primary legislation, a…24 Mar 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (First sitting)I completely agree. The reality is that the implementation of the covenant has been really narrow, across three different Departments. The Bill will broaden the number of policy…24 Mar 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (First sitting)Empowering armed forces champions is not necessarily the solution; unfortunately, whether we like it or not, armed forces champions differ between councils. I am not an expert, as…24 Mar 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (First sitting)I thank the hon. Gentleman for his service, both in the military and in local government, and as an armed forces champion. The honest reality is that as the duty is broadened from…24 Mar 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (First sitting)I will triple down on what was said and say thank you very much to an amazing team, first, for putting together great evidence sessions and, secondly, for approaching this in a…24 Mar 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (First sitting)The minimum requirement at the moment is to stay in line with the covenant principles. That needs to be balanced with the broader local issues that each local authority is facing.…24 Mar 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (First sitting)The public sector equality duty has been in force for 15 years and its duty of due regard is working well; we seek to replicate that as we move forward. From my perspective, the…24 Mar 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (First sitting)I disagree—the postcode lottery will get better and start to standardise over time. There is a multitude of problems with the covenant that the Bill will try to solve, one of…24 Mar 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (First sitting)It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Efford. This clause is an essential part of each and every Armed Forces Bill, as it provides for the Armed Forces Act 2006 to…24 Mar 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (Second sitting)Once we analyse the tapestry of veterans support, I would like to come to a solution on the English veterans commissioner to align with and amplify what we do on Valour. I think…24 Mar 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (First sitting)When it comes to the legal process, we must ensure that there is the flexibility in local councils to adhere to the covenant in line with the broader issues and capacity that they…24 Mar 2026HANSARD DefenceI will give way to the right hon. Gentleman.24 Mar 2026