Contributions
324 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (Second sitting)Q As I said before we left for the vote, I want to finish off with a few more questions about the criminal side, and then move on to the civil side. As the Bill stands, it affects…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (Second sitting)Q Before I move from the criminal to the civil side, I want to talk about the definition in clause 1 of the Bill. Do you think that is a sufficient definition of “overseas…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (Second sitting)Q As my right hon. Friend the Member for North Durham (Mr Jones) said, the Attorney General is obviously a political appointment. Equally, the Secretary of State is a political…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (Second sitting)Q What is your view, Mr Baldwin? Clive Baldwin: Absolutely. Particularly in the situation of crimes that may have been committed overseas, it is very difficult for victims to…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (Second sitting)Q Ms Spurrier, can I follow that up? Are you saying that this Bill could deny justice to victims of serious crimes? Martha Spurrier: Absolutely. If you have a triple lock on…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (Second sitting)Q Welcome to you both. Mr Baldwin can answer first and Ms Spurrier second, so that you are not crossing over each other, but I will address questions to both of you. The reason I…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (Second sitting)Thank you both. No further questions from me, Mr Mundell.06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (Second sitting)Q Could I just come in with one word there? The phrase is “consider” derogation. Do you think it is significant that that has been written into the Bill? Sorry to interrupt there;…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (First sitting)Thank you.06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (First sitting)Q I have taken enough time and know that colleagues want to come in, but I will end with a quick, simple question. How do you think veterans and their families will react to the…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (First sitting)I can’t either. Michael Sutcliff : They are being compensated for it, so you are right that if we had a very early backstop, they would have lost that. Not being the lawyerly…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (First sitting)Q To give some context to that, what I was thinking of with that question was nuclear test veterans and also the knowledge we have now about asbestos and asbestosis. These issues…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (First sitting)Q One of the criticisms of this Bill is the six-year time limit for civil cases against the MOD in respect of personal injury or death during overseas operations. First, should it…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (First sitting)Q I want to move on to troop welfare, which you are both very well briefed in. How many troops have you supported who have gone through repeat investigations, and what does the…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (First sitting)Q Moving on further from that, do you think that the Bill’s provisions extend to offences committed far beyond the traditional battlefield, and if so, what do you think the effect…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (First sitting)Q I do not want to dwell too much on the five-year limit set by the Bill, but could you provide any evidence or examples of why cases of torture might not be brought within that…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (First sitting)Q There has been criticism in some quarters that the six-year limit breaches the armed forces covenant. Again, that was prevalent as the Bill began its parliamentary journey. Do…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (First sitting)Q One of the issues that came out as this Bill began to make its way through Parliament was whether five years is the right period for cut-off. Why not seven or three, in your…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (First sitting)Q Good morning, Mr Young and Mr Sutcliff. As we are on Zoom, will Mr Young speak first and Mr Sutcliff second? That will be easier than you talking over each other. Both my…06 Oct 2020HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (Second sitting)Q Could we talk a bit about the triple lock? Obviously, the Bill would apply the same triple lock against prosecutions for war crimes or crimes against humanity that took place…06 Oct 2020