Contributions
703 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (Second sitting)Q Thank you, Mr Mundell. A lot of my questions have already been asked, so I will not be too long. I just want to ask a few questions about part 2 of the Bill. In the briefing…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (Second sitting)Q My final question, playing devil’s advocate I suppose, is, what benefit is there to veterans from part 2 of the Bill? Ahmed Al-Nahhas: I am struggling, to be honest with you. As…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (Second sitting)Q Thank you. I do not know whether you have any additional comments on that, Emma. Emma Norton: No, I do not have anything to add on that. I was just going to say that there are…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (Second sitting)Q I am not sure whether it was you, Ahmed, or Emma who mentioned the issue of hearing loss earlier. I am wondering what happens if veterans or serving personnel have suffered an…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (Second sitting)Q Could part 2 of the Bill be seen, then, as harmful to serving personnel and veterans? Ahmed Al-Nahhas: Yes, potentially. It would not encourage people to come forward and bring…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (Second sitting)Q Is there a danger that the hard stop of six years could prevent things such as inefficiencies in equipment from coming to light? Ahmed Al-Nahhas: There is definitely a risk with…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (Second sitting)Q Yes, thank you. Emma Norton, do you have any comments? Emma Norton: I do not have much to add to that, except to say that I agree and that it is quite extraordinary that part 2…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (Second sitting)Q May I ask, following those last questions, whether part 2 has been brought in stealthily off the back of part 1? Ahmed Al-Nahhas: Yes, I believe so. What you are giving veterans…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (Second sitting)Q Finally, having heard what the three of you have said about how we carry out investigations, do you understand that some people would have concerns that the Bill will not solve…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (Second sitting)Q Would it make sense for that type of legislation on the way investigations are carried out to be developed alongside the Bill? Dr Morgan: Yes. Whether this needs fresh…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (Second sitting)Q Would you support calls for some sort of independence in the investigative processes? Dr Morgan: There is a rule in criminal law that if you have been tried in a criminal court…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (Second sitting)Q This morning we heard from Major Bob Campbell who talked about the MOD—in a brilliant quote to get on the record—“fannying about with repeated investigations”. He talked about…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (First sitting)Q How would you see a proper investigation being carried out? Major Campbell: That is a good question, because I do not know. The reason I say that is that I do not believe that…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (First sitting)Q Major Campbell, thank you so much for the evidence that you have given us already today. I think that all of us here are sorry to hear of your experience, and I think that the…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (First sitting)Thank you very much. Thanks for your answers.06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (First sitting)Q You mentioned that you are concerned about the six-year longstop in part 2 of the Bill. Can you give an example of where that would be problematic? Hilary Meredith: There is a…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (First sitting)Q And who was carrying out these repeated investigations? Hilary Meredith: I think the original investigation was by the Royal Military Police. It was perceived that they were not…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (First sitting)Q Thank you. When we hear about repeat investigations, what sort of form do they take? Hilary Meredith: For example, if I can use the case of Major Campbell, the investigation…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (First sitting)Q Thank you for your evidence so far. In response to Emma Lewell-Buck’s questioning, you talked about the need for proper investigation. Can you expand on that and tell me what…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (First sitting)Thank you, gentlemen.06 Oct 2020